From Hobby To Website Guide

 

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2. Contents

   WELCOME

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   Hello there, how you doing?

   Listening to myself ask that question, I sound like the Italian living on the Long Island or New Jersey Shore. It connotes a feeling of genuine interest despite the difference in accent.

   Today, I would like to spend some time talking about how to move your hobby from ‘hobby status’ to ‘website status’ and potential money maker.

   In today’s world, it is becoming more prevalent for people wanting to work from home versus working in an office at a  regular 9:00 am – 5:00 pm job. The commute to work, the unbelievable loss of personal time, the loss of family time, and so on, which filters down to more losses than wins, if you ask me. The remote job scene is playing a greater role than it did a few years ago. Not only is its role changing but so are the people who want to make this their reality.

   We are talking about: retirees, stay-at-home moms, students, laid-off workers, burnt-out office workers – and the list goes on.

   However, two things remain a common thread: 1/how does one make money and 2/is there the potential to do it online?

Well, let’s talk about it.

 

 

 

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Let Me Introduce Myself

 

My name is Michelle and I am the owner of this website as well as a few others, though this one is my baby – my first born. I wanted to transform my ‘work life’ to something where I had more control and less loss of time in commuting to the regular 9:00 am – 5:00 pm grind. I started looking around me for answers. I did lots of research online. I was exposed to lots of ‘schemes’ which once uncovered for what they were – money scavengers – I realized that there had to be another way.

Because I spent so much time online doing research, my ‘light bulb’ came on. How about creating my own website? Great idea, but how? I was certainly not a computer geek or more aptly, I did not have any computer experience to make this a reality. The thought of having someone do it for me sounded enticing, but once I factored in the monetary aspect of that thought, I decided that that might not be the path I would be taking.

Then, I happened on Wealthy Affiliate. It presented me with the opportunity to create my own website in less than 30 secs and this intrigued me – it appealed to the business part of me. And so I continued doing more research, however, this time my research was more focused on this particular organization and what they had to offer.

I was curious and even more curious when I realized that they offered a FREE starter account for 7 days during which you are able to test out the premium membership features before making a full commitment to the program they were offering. This was just up my alley, and so I invested in myself.

 

 

If you are reading this, then you can see the results of my training and investment. You can see the outcome from someone who had no computer training and followed the courses provided by Wealthy Affiliate.

Why don’t you invest in yourself and your future?

How about making your hobby your niche and the next website to grace the internet?

Do I have your attention?

Let’s continue.

 

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Taking Your Hobby To The  Next Level – Do You Have What It Takes?

So, you are at the point in your life where you want to do things differently, to redefine yourself, are you mentally ready to do this?

Far too many people get so psyched up telling themselves that they are ready to branch out on their own, leave the job they have no passion for, and start their own business.

Some get past the emotional stage and then get stuck in the action phase – frozen inaction phase is more like it.

Before you take the plunge into the online world and in fact, for any undertaking, there are a few things you need to spend some time thinking about – coming to grips with yourself – simply being honest!

 

Your Mindset

In order to be and make a difference your mind has to be in the ‘right’ place. You have to want the ‘sweet taste of success’ so bad that you will take action to make it happen. You have to be willing to stay the course when unforeseen obstacles challenge your resolve. You have to believe in yourself and your effort to achieve success. No one can ‘give’ you a mindset but yourself.

 

Being Patient With Yourself And The New Learning Curve

 

So, you are equipped with that ‘go get ‘em tiger’ attitude, so what now? Well, you have to be honest and realistic with yourself. You are embarking on a new territory and things are all new to you. You have to be patient with yourself – Rome was not built in a day, however, it was started on one – you have to give yourself time to accomplish your goals and most important of all, you have to be gentle with yourself. The learning curve will have points along the way which need to be smoothed out and make your journey easier to travel.

 

Getting A Mentor

 

This is all new to you and so the best advice I can give is to get a mentor. Find someone who has arrived at the destination that you want to be and then follow his/her blueprint for success. Check in with him/her periodically to ensure that you are on course. It is like having a personal coach to help keep you accountable as you start your weight training project.

Your mentor can be a book (autobiography of someone you admire), a real live coach (if you are able enough to afford the rates for a one on one session, or maybe even a group session), or archived information outlining your plan of action from successful people before you. You can check out the training I created on the Wealthy Affiliate platform on the subject of mentors here.

 

Money To Make It Happen 

Yes, it is no secret that there are certain things in life that will cost money – training for a skill or profession is surely a cost. Do not become overwhelmed by the thought of money. Money is your friend. You can use the budget that you have to get the best resource you need, you just need to know where to look for that source. You need to have a budget and an acceptance of yourself that you are worth the investment!

I agree that high-cost courses will sometimes deliver top-rate information, though don’t be despaired in thinking that that is the only way – it is not! You can access a lot of free resources online in whichever niche you find yourself as well by creating your very own FREE starter account with Wealthy Affiliate and have a cornucopia of information at your fingertips.

 

Perseverance And Determination

 

Ah, yes, we ALL need help on this point a lot, I will be the first to admit it. It is not easy starting a new project and then coming up against challenges which may lead us to re-think our initial decision. What we need to tell ourselves is this – nothing tried, nothing gained.

We have to keep striving toward our goals; we have to treat challenges as a motivating step to the next level. We have to be determined to make it through, no matter what may come. We have to keep a mental (and physical if you choose – vision board) picture of our goal and ‘keep our eyes on the prize’ as the cliché goes.

 

Support – Technical And Psychological

 

As we start a new project, we will need direction and just as importantly, we will need support – technical and psychological as time goes on. We need to know that the technical support can be reached 24/7 so that we do not get frustrated too easily because of the inability to get help.

We also need a community to be there to provide emotional and psychological support when the ‘going gets tough’ and we just need that ‘little nudge’ to get us over the emotional ‘hump’. Being a member of Wealthy Affiliate provides technical and psychological support 24/7, no matter where you are physically located, no matter the time frame.

 

 

You should really give the FREE starter membership a try.

This leads me to the next section.

 

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 How To Get Started

 

Getting started is easy.

Seeing that we have made the foundation for our plan emotionally, now it is time to execute the plan.

No plan is worth its weight in gold unless it is put into action.

Wealthy Affiliate is a wonderful learning platform for anyone who is willing (to put in the time and work) to do what it takes to make major changes in their work situation on a business level. I will outline the whole process further on. However, before I do that, I would like to mention a few more things.

Owning a website is a great start to creating your own online presence. However, one thing that is important in having your website is to use that website to make money for you while you sleep – some call it passive income. The best way to monetize your website is to use the marketing channel called Affiliate Marketing.

Let’s talk some more about this in the following section.

Affiliate Marketing

What Is It?

Affiliate Marketing is not a new concept for business. The concept is a simple one – people promote products on behalf of big (and small) companies and receive a commission for their efforts as remuneration. This can be as small as 3% up to 60%. If you do the numbers, you will see that this is not a bad investment of time for money.

How Does It Work?

With Affiliate Marketing, it is all about providing a solution for people in need. You make a recommendation of services which you think will efficiently and effectively solve their problem, and in return, you are compensated for your effort. The key ingredient here in Affiliate Marketing is creating a level of trust with the customer. Once you have established that this is your bottom line, it will make helping others a very achievable goal to achieve.

Can It Work For You?

ABSOLUTELY!!

As long as you make the commitment to work arduously, then the sky is your limit and the world is your oyster.

I think it’s time for an example here. Currently, there are over 3.75 billion (and this number increases daily as more and more people become computer literate) people who actively use the internet to seek answers to various concerns they might have – 24hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

For example, a young mother is preparing to go back to work after having her baby – she is looking for a babysitter in her area.  She goes online to Google search engine and types what she is looking for in a few words – babysitter needed in Bayshore area – and immediately it gives her lots of options to choose from.

Let’s say you were the one who wrote that article which provided her with a list of potential babysitters in her area, wouldn’t you be feeling very good just in knowing that you were able to help one person to make her life easier as she transitioned back into the work scene leaving her little bundle of joy in the hands of someone she can trust? I am sure you would.

Think about all the other young and older mothers, or just people in general who might find themselves in the same position of needing help, and finding your article?

You are providing a service that will impact the lives of many, just by providing information that can be trusted and helpful in their time of need.

 

The Proof Is In The Pudding

 

So you see how useful you can be by providing helpful information in whatever niche you choose to be an authority in – the more helpful the search engines find your articles, the better they will rank your website, the more traffic you will receive to your site, and the more potential you will have to make passive income.

So that being said, can you imagine the income potential once you start adding useful content to your website on a constant basis? Your traffic will increase and so will your potential income earnings.

But most important of all, people will come to you via your website – your hobby status is now your website status with income potential!

 

 

WAY TO GO!!

 

 

This is why I recommend your heading over to Wealthy Affiliate and try out the FREE starter membership account. If you want to stick around for more information before you get started there, let’s take a closer look at the whole online process of making money online and the steps to get you started.

 

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This Is How It All Comes Together

 

As with everything, there is a process and precise steps to follow in order to have the desired outcome. I have simplified it and you should find the information easy to follow below.

 

Choose A Niche Or A Specialized Interest 

 

This part will take some time to analyze but it will pay off in the long term. Choose something that is of interest to you so that you won’t lose steam while you travel to your destination. A lot of times, this could be your hobby – something that once you get started, you find you lose yourself in it for hours on end, even to the point of missing sleep and food time.

 

Here is a video from the Wealthy Affiliate Archives which will give you an idea how to choose that niche that will be a great idea for your website.

 

Create A Website

 

Now, this is the fun part – creating your brand. Yes, that is what you will be doing. You will be creating a website according to YOU!!

How Does That Feel So Far?

Overwhelming?

Well, it can, but once you have entrusted your learning to Wealthy Affiliate, you will see how it all fits into place. It really is easy, you can do it in a few minutes, even without any technical knowledge. You will surprise yourself, I know I did!

 

Here is another video that will get you started

 

 

 

Create Relevant And Useful Content

Now, this is the ‘meat and potatoes’ part of it all – this is the part which determines if you ‘sink or swim’ because this is where you will need to put in a lot of time to market your brand. I will not sugar coat it –

YOUR CONTENT = YOUR INCOME

– plain and simple. It is not meant to scare you, but you will have to do the work if you choose to be a success.

 

Here is a link to an article that I wrote to help you create content:

 

 

Build An Audience By Getting Traffic To That Website

 

Yes, you will need to be aware of the audience that you are trying to reach and also vice versa, they need your information too. There are FREE and PAID ways to generate traffic to your website. You will need traffic to get your website before the eyes of your audience.

 

Here is a video link to give you an idea how you can achieve this aspect of the process.

 

Set The Money-Making Process In Motion – Rinse And Repeat

 

Ok, I guess this is the part where you say:

Show Me The Money!!

And I don’t blame you, ‘seeing the money’ is important. NOW, I must remind you that this is not a ‘get rich scheme’, this is YOUR long-term investment. As they used to say in the earlier days when computers were just on the start-up – GIGO, ‘garbage in, garbage out’!You get what you put in.

Remember, using affiliate marketing is one ‘quick’ way to make income on your website, however, ultimately, it will be your content that will be the long-term earning tool for you.

 

How Long Before You See The Fruits Of Your Labor? 

 

Everyone’s timeline is different and so are the various niches.

With some new websites, the potential to make money is almost immediate (within a few short months) while with some, it will take some time. There is no ‘hard and fast’ rule about how quickly this will happen, but if you follow the process and do your ‘homework’, I guarantee you that you will have results.

Here is a link to one of many students at Wealthy Affiliate who have followed the coursework and created their individual success.

 

 

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• My Online Recommendation

• In the last year, I have been a member of a great organization called Wealthy Affiliate. I found them after doing tons of research while I was looking for an alternate source of income and being able to do this online.

  Now, I am sure that you have been around long enough to know that there are scammers in our midst and that everything that glitters is not gold. I did my due diligence and then I realized that I had found my source to achieve my online goal.

  Like most people wanting to make a change, especially financially, it is a welcome sight when you find an opportunity to do this and the cost is affordable, it helps those of us who are on a budget.

• We welcome Low Price Tags and FREE.

• However, I hasten to add that FREE is not always FREE and that it can cost you more in the end.

  With Wealthy Affiliate, FREE STARTER account means just that – FREE – as well as lifetime membership. I will explain more further on.

  As an organization, Wealthy Affiliate tops the scale in what it offers if you want to create an online presence:

  • • • Free Starter Membership

      • Premium Membership

      • Step-By-Step Coursework

      • Simple Yet Powerful Website Builder

      • SSL Certificate Secured Web Hosting

      • Domain Registration

      • Weekly Live Webinars

      • Live Chat 24/7 Support

      • Free Inhouse Keyword Research Tool

      • Talented Community Members With Diverse Skills

  Let’s dissect the pieces one by one so that you can get a clearer understanding of what this is all about and what it means for you.

 

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  FREE Starter Membership
  

  I love this – Wealthy Affiliate offers you a FREE Starter Membership (and lifetime membership at this level) where you can check out the premium membership freely for 7 days and then being able to make your decision about upgrading to premium.

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• There are other points to consider:
  • • • No Credit Card Needed At Signup
      • You Can Stay FREE As Long As You Want
      • Try Out Premium Features For The First 7 Days
      • 2 Free Websites
      • Easy Website Builder
      • Highly Secured Web Hosting
      • 2 Classrooms To Learn From
      • First 10 Lessons of Online Entrepreneur Certification and Affiliate Bootcamp courses
      • Keyword Research Tool – 30 Searches/Mo.

  The offer is genuine – you get to try out the platform, take 2 courses, and then make your decision if this is something for you. IF you decide to go to the next level, then we can talk about premium membership.

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• Premium Membership

  Becoming a Premium Member was a great investment in myself. I have learned so much in the last few months and I am so very proud – I did not think that I could do it, and look at me now. I am excited, so excited that I am selflessly spreading the word in an effort to motivate and inspire others.

  On a month to month basis, the cost of being a Premium member is USD$49.00, however, it is a more cost-effective commitment to pay for the yearly subscription which is USD $359.00. Of course, I understand if you want to go month to month like I did in the beginning, that is totally up to you.

  However, if you sign up here, I can get you a 59% discount for your first month and you’ll pay only $19 for your first month!

• 
• After three months, I bought the yearly Premium member subscription, it was economically better. I even waited until the Black Friday promotion (incidentally which they have each year), and then I subscribed for the yearly membership. It worked out to be a cost of USD29.92 each month, much better than paying on a month to month basis. The way I chose to look at it was from this standpoint – I am worth the investment in myself. Information and education is always something to aspire to.

 

• Here is a chart comparison of what is being offered with a FREE starter membership and a Premium membership.
• (This will help you better to decide).

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  Step-By-Step Coursework

   

Because you are embarking on a whole new world, you need the tools to help make it happen. Wealthy Affiliate makes sure that you are grounded in this respect. It educates you with current as well as updated information in the online technology world.It provides a host of lessons which gives you a certificate at the end of each lesson to track your progress.

It is best to follow the lessons, step by step, in order, especially if you are serious about creating your own business. You have to respect the process. You can’t get to C unless you go through A and B. There is an order and they have provided that sequence because it has been tried and tested to ensure your success.

Sure, your anxiety might get the better of you, or your genuine thirst for knowledge, but believe me, speaking from experience, it is better to follow the course, step by step in order or you will find yourself missing out on vital information which might be part of a core for your business.

• Here is a layout of the Online Entrepreneur Certification – Getting Started – Level 1

 

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Simple Yet Powerful Website Builder

 

• At Wealthy Affiliate, they have a wonderful tool called SiteRubix where you will be able to create your own personalized website in a jiffy!
• There Are 5 Easy Steps To Help You Achieve Your Goal

Step #1 – select either ‘On a free domain’ or ‘On a domain I own or ‘Register a domain’

Sep #2 – choose a domain name for your website

Step #3 – choose a website title

Step #4 – choose a design for your website

Step #5 – click the button which says, ‘Click Here To Build Your Site’

           And voila, you have just created your new website.

• CONGRATULATIONS!!

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  SSL Certificate Secured Web Hosting

  One thing I love about being a member of Wealthy Affiliate is the fact that the information is always current. The owners, Kyle and Carson are always on top of the latest technological advancement.

• Because internet security is important, they have made all owner domain websites SSL certificate secure. That little green padlock at the beginning of your site URL speaks ‘heaps’ to any reader/customer who would like to connect with you and more importantly, if there has to be a monetary transaction, the customer can feel secure in knowing that the website is secure.  In addition to SSL security, the Wealthy Affiliate platform has its own hosting which comes FREE with the membership package.

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  Domain Registration
• Wealthy Affiliate is like a one-stop shop for all your internet needs. You can transfer any domain you may already have or have created from any company into the member area. The hosting is included along with the SSL certificates.
  

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  Weekly Live Webinars
• Another great thing about membership at Wealthy Affiliate is the weekly training webinar. It is hosted by a competent presenter – Jay. His webinars are fantastic and they are subsequently archived for future teaching sections.
  

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  Live Chat 24/7 Support
• THIS IS INVALUABLE
• There are members at Wealthy Affiliate from all over the globe and this means many different time zones. The fact that support is available 24/7 means that at any time, you will be able to contact support and expect a timely response. I have gotten responses with a 15-minute window most times.
  

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  Free Inhouse Keyword Research Tool
• Vital to your online business is the ability to choose and use keywords in your content building. Wealthy Affiliate offers a FREE in-house keyword research tool to help you determine the viability of any keyword you may choose when creating your content.

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  Talented Community Members With Diverse Skills

   

• This is simply awesome – the community members. There are more than 800,000 members at Wealthy Affiliate and what is just beautiful about this is the fact that they are from all walks of life, very talented and also a source of information. The members are also very willing to help you in whatever way they possibly can. The whole system is one epitomized by the ‘pay it forward’ mindset demonstrated by the owners, Kyle and Carson.

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  Your Next Step

   

• So, there you have it -I know this was more than a mouthful, maybe a couple. Now that you have an idea about the possibility of taking your hobby from hobby status to website online, isn’t it time you make that commitment?
• There is only one way to try and that is to just do it!
• YOUR Success Is At Your Fingertips
• So, I am sure you realize that your success depends solely on YOU. You hold your own cards in your own hands, or maybe your fingers.
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  and change your life, you will be happy you did!

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  My Final Thoughts About Transforming Your Hobby To An Online Website Experience

   

  First of all, if you have read to this point, I want to thank you for giving me the chance to present this opportunity to you. I highly recommend this program to you. You have nothing to lose but the effort to make a change in YOUR life.

• Remember, nothing changes, if everything stays the same. You have to take action to see things differently. As the late Dr. Wayne Dyer would often say,
• “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”.
• I encourage you to take action and just try it out. The FREE starter membership is yours for the taking.In addition to this, I would like to offer you a copy of my FREE eBook:
  
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  ‘How to be an Entrepreneur’
• It is an easy read and it will help you decide if being an entrepreneur is something for you. Please send me a message on my Wealthy Affiliate profile and I will get it out to you.
• 
  I wish you much success and it is my hope to see you on the inside of the Wealthy Affiliate community.
• OH, ONE MORE THING…
• If you think of any questions that you need answers to, I am here for YOU.
• You can send a message to my profile anytime. Please allow me about 24-48hrs to get back to you and be assured that I will.I will also be offering you a bonus for creating your FREE membership account as well as a 59% Premium discount after you sign up. I look forward to working with you, motivating you, and helping you to get started on changing your hobby into your online website business!
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