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Today I'm going to share with you a beginner's American
Dream website business success story.
As you'll see, our featured reader isn't an internet
millionaire yet, but he's doing a great job for a kid just
out of college, and proud son of new immigrants to America.
He's proving the American Dream isn't dead - it's just a
little different these days.
About 18 months ago I noticed a new affiliate had started
making consistent sales of my Turbulence Training fitness
product. Whenever that happens, I'm grateful, and excited.
This young guy, Parth Shah, has a real-world American Dream
success story and we're going to share it with you today.
He'll show you how anyone can get started with a website
business. You don't need a lot of money, just a never-give-up
attitude and a passion for what you do.
Craig: Parth, let's start with a brief background of your
website business. How did you get involved in this business?
Parth:
I began my website in college as a way to express my unique
views on fitness in 2007. When I started out, I was bored
with magazine workouts and did not enjoy going to the Campus
fitness center.
Most of my training was done at home with a barbell, so I
was talking more about working out at home with limited
equipment, which is right now a pretty hot niche. You're in it!
But I didn't start out with the intention of making money online.
I became interested in online marketing after seeing Mike Mahler
(the Kettlebell guy) make money online. I read his story, and
I started scratching my head. Here's a guy who started out
when Kettlebellls weren't even popular and he made it big.
Why can't I do it?
My journey led me to Tim Ferris' book, 4 Hour Work Week, and
that just opened up my eyes to the possibilities of what you
can do online. Here was someone who's financed all his travels
with an online company!
In 2009, I made about $198.72 per month on average. In 2010,
my monthly income was $1372.41. That is almost a 600% increase
(I think).
And that is just from affiliate earnings alone. In 2011 I
hope to earn at least 300% more.
Craig: Cool, your story is similar to mine, starting all the
way back in college. So what freedom and lifestyle benefits
has this given you?
Parth:
Both my parents are from India, so I'm first generation
American. Anyone coming from an immigrant family knows that
your parents believe there are only 3 ways to make money in
life: become an engineer, lawyer, or doctor.
I wanted to become a screen writer. So, that was really hard
to hear for my parents. I listened to my father and got a
degree in International Business. Even after college, it was
tough getting a job.
Partly because I graduated the same summer Lehmen brothers tanked.
But partly because deep down I just didn't want to work for
another person. Writers, artists, actors, and all us creative
people are free spirits.
We hate being tied down.
So, I had already begun experimenting with blogging while at
school. And right before I graduated, I had read 4HWW. It
took me a while to really start implementing his principles,
but I eventually found my way.
The biggest benefit is showing my parents that I can actually
make money doing something I love. My dad is 100% on board
since he owns a business. My mom, on the other hand, will
take some more time to get used to it.
But I pay my bills, and help my parents out. To me, I'd
rather give up some money then give up my freedom. And anyone
who has ever worked for another person knows what I mean by
giving up freedom.
Since college, I have not had a "normal" job, and I hope I
never have to!
Craig: What were the most important things you have done
"right" in your online journey to your success?
Parth:
Learning SEO is one of the important things I've learned.
Some people call me an SEO expert. I taught my cousin the
basics and he was like, "Yea, you hear about it, but you
showing me one on one was amazing."
He wants me start consulting, which will definitely be a
future endeavor.
SEO isn't difficult. But it's something people avoid. They
get too caught up on "tricks."
There's no trick.
It's all about finding the right keywords - low competition,
high search - and creating content around it.
The better content you create, the more people will come to
your site.
The second skill is using your weaknesses as your strengths.
I'm not a certified trainer. I do train people, but I do it
more to have training partners and build relationships. Two
guys I trained while I was in college are now warriors.
One of them approached me with a business idea, which we'll be
implementing in the summer.
But anyways, I'm an average joe. And my readers are average
joes. That's what makes them trust me. I'm not some fitness
expert trying to pull a fast one on them. I don't have six
pack abs (yet), but I'm going through the same journey as they are.
For a while I hid myself behind a computer. But now I interact
with all my readers on twitter and facebook. That's what it's
all about. It's a lot of fun.
And like you said in your newsletters, show off your personality,
and people won't have to scratch their heads and think,
"Am I buying from a real person? Or a spammer from Romania?"
(No offence to Romania, just read an article in Wired
magazine that said Romania has the most cyber criminals.)
Craig: Yes, please, no hate mail from our Romanian readers,
if we have any. So Parth, what lessons have you learned in
terms of things you wouldn't do again, or wouldn't recommend
to others just getting started?
Parth:
Pay per click is one of the most dangerous things I've done
as a beginner.
I literally spent $800 on PPC and only made a fraction of it back.
Especially now since Google really hates affiliate marketers,
specifically Clickbank, your best bet is to stay away from
it until you actually have some practice money to use on PPC.
I've heard some good things about Facebook, but even then,
you can get really far with using Facebook as a social media
platform as opposed to an advertising plaform.
Even the big companies can't get paid advertising right
(I've seen some really dumb campaigns to the point where you
don't even know what they're trying to sell you.).
So overall paid advertising do it once you've exhausted the
free traffic methods.
Craig: What were the big mindset changes that helped you make
progress? And any advice to others on getting through
"the dips" where things were really frustrating?
Parth:
Not caring about what other people think about me, and not
listening to my mom.
Craig: Uh-oh. Seriously?
Parth:
I love my mom, but sometimes you have to just block out people
you love because they're standing in the way of your goals.
In college, when people were worried about getting a job, I
wrote a feature length screenplay. It was read, and rejected.
But it showed me what buckling down and working was all about.
It showed me how happy I was when I let my creative juices flow.
Ever since then, I've had this dream of living in some other
country with a beautiful view, outside my room, and spending
all day drinking Chai and writing.
That is my dream and I'm getting closer and closer to it.
To get past those dips, and I'm facing one now, you have to
have that image crystal clear in your head.
Make it as specific as possible.
You have to have that attitude where you don't care about
what other people think about you.
When you're facing a dip, people see you as a wounded animal.
And they're going to try and show you that, "Hey look. I told
you! What you're doing is stupid. Why not join me in my boring
desk job and we'll gossip about that guy who works next door!"
That's not what I want. So it keeps me going.
But on the flip side, you need to be open minded. Talk to more
people who are in your niche, or at least are online. For me
right now I can't afford to go to seminars.
So I learn from you from this website, and your newsletters.
Craig: Were there any big "a-ha" moments when you felt like
you were really breaking through?
Parth:
Last year there was a HUGE fitness product launch and that
launch made me $1300, which is my current average monthly income.
That showed me the possibility of how much money you can
make online.
I believe I made that money because there were few people
promoting the product, and I had high rankings for his
product already. The second time around I didn't do so well
because there was more competition in terms of affiliates
promoting it.
That showed me that you can't rely too much on product
launches because after a launch you don't do so good with
the product.
You want to have certain evergreen products that will keep
making you money for years to come.
Craig: And finally, do you have any networking, outsourcing,
or technical tips that might make it easier for
InternetIndependence.com readers?
Parth:
In terms of networking right now for me is mostly online.
I am certainly more open to talking to random people about
my business, but most people just don't understand the
online business model.
On the technical side, stick to Wordpress. Wordpress has
evolved to a point where you can create an entire membership
website with it.
In fact, I'm coming out with a membership product as a joint
venture with an Australian trainer.
We're using wordpress for our blog, membership site, and
paypal to accept payments. There's even a plugin that synchs
with paypal and wordpress.
There are plugins that also synch clickbank with wordpress,
but you have to pay for them.
So if you want a completely free website, or at least a low
cost one, wordpress is the way to go!
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Thanks Parth. I hope you enter our Internet Independence
transformation contest.
By the way, I'm always looking for more success stories to
feature in the daily email, so please contact me or post
your information below so we can inspire others with your
story of success.
Looking forward to your future success,
Craig Ballantyne
InternetIndependence.com
"If you want to sell many more products or services online,
your success will always boil down to the all-important twin
truths of Traffic Generation and Sales Conversion."
- "Vegas" Jimmy Sweeney
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