My Take On Squidoo

I don't know about you but Squidoo is not for me.

I like reading lenses on Squidoo and they are really interesting and informative. Since I become I member, I favorited quite a few lenses. But for me to write Squidoo style? Not really my thing.

When I write, I write with a flow of emotion. I don't need to be asked or guided with questions. I just want to write and not have to think about adding modules. I also don't want to mind about HTML. They dont have a WYSIWYG editor so it's really hard for me especially when I want to add a URL.

For some people, Squidoo is excellent. I understand that it is a good medium to have your voice heard, to have a platform for your ideas, and also to raise funds for your charity. And for some people, it has become an avenue to make money. That was actually a motivation for me to join and I did. But two months after, I still can't get the hang of it.

My hand hurts whenever I try to post a lens or edit my existing lenses on Squidoo. I keep clicking and going up and down with my mouse just to see the right command. After I edit, my revisions don't come out. I found out that I should hit the publish button which is way up the screen. Also, reading lenses takes a while. They all become a part of one page and it becomes very very long. It takes a while for all of the page to load.

The idea behind Squidoo is actually noble. Give half of the earnings to charity. That's really a good cause. It is also a networking site so you get to promote your ideas or merchandise to people. You build connections and relations along the way and you get to have more exposure. It is an ideal place to be at for internet marketers.

But my style of writing -- the way I write is not consistent with the way they structure their lens creation. This is for people who are not used to write and I'm pretty sure it is done so in order to guide inexperienced writers or to make writers out of non-writers. And it works. Members create lenses systematically and productively. I think that's what all that matters in the end.

As for me, I decided not to use Squidoo as a medium. My loss.

Invisible Marketer

It's blessing in disguise. Because of what happened, I am now seeking other avenues to market my sites. Marketing is really a big part of doing business online. And for people who have no products or expertise to sell (just like me), we have to invent and discover ways in order to refer products.

I like internet marketing because I don't like personal contact with people that patronize my business. I don't like putting my face or my name out there just to make a sale. Unlike Holly Mann, I don't like big responsibility. I don't want to cultivate client relationship or be attached with people. I just want to be compensated for promoting products of someone else. And no, I'm not going to sell an ebook and I'm not going to be a guru just like Holly Mann no matter how successful I become.

Yes, I just want to be the invisible marketer.

Greed Does Not Pay

So my fears came true. Yesterday, one of the nightmares of website owners/webmasters happened to me. Google dropped my site from the ranks. Actually, I could not find it in the second page or the third or the fourth nor the 20th page. It just suddenly disappeared from Rank No. 2 to nowhere.

Since this is my most profitable site, my cashflow just dropped, too. So I thought it over and over again asking myself why. Then, I found my answer. Greed.

I became greedy right away thinking how easy it was. So, I duplicated my website, not twice but thrice. Actually, I deleted the fourth one because it was redundant. But now, all three sites are not making it to the Google index. I know that Google penalizes sites with similar content and evidently it did mine. What a bummer. And in the middle of traffic rushing in, just streaming, with me making an average of three sales a day. This is really a nightmare.

I'm trying to repair the pieces of this mistake. I don't know if I have to delete the first site and let the two others climb the index. I don't just know. I don't know what to do. I'm at loss here.

Elation and Fear

It's really getting exciting each day because since I found my niche, there is never a day when I am not making money. However small it is, I am thankful. It's still money and I respect it. I believe that if I hone my skills, I will be making more money and I can have a steady income out of it.

So now, I'm getting a taste of what internet marketing is all about. It's really addicting. The thing is, you are seeing the fruit of your labor and it's making you inspired to go on.

For more than two yeas, I did not see any result or reward for doing what I do. It's like firing a gun but you don't see your subject. Or that you know there are subjects out there but you don' know if the gun is capable enough to shoot the bullet at them. I mean the fire may be short or it may be weak. For a long time, that's how I felt.

Not anymore. I'm seeing the end of the tunnel so to speak. And I'm at it right now. This happiness and ethusiasm is coupled with anxiety, though. What if my marketing endeavor is getting result right now because it's the Christmas season and people are spending money? What happens during the time when there is no occasion to spend money for? And in the middle of a recession, I can't really expect to have more sales after the holidays, can I?

So this is my fear: I've tapped into a market that I can call my niche but to what extent and for how long?

Finally

I'm finally making it. The world of internet marketing has opened its door for me. And yes, it feels awesome. I have found a niche, at last. I'm gradually making money. Not raining yet but it certainly is slow but sure.

I've been dreaming of 12 thousand a month. Yup, that's what Holly Mann is making so that's been my goal. I'm very much on it.

One Year Old

On Sunday, this blog will be a year old. I can't believe I'm able to maintain a blog this long. By next month, the archives of Hollymannia would include three years, spanning from 2007 to 2009. That's success for me because I have been able to keep on and keep up with something.

The intention behind this blog is to chronicle my succees (but oftentimes failures) on following Holly Mann's ebook, Honest Riches. But as some of the people who have read this blog already knew, the posts do not include just of Holly Mann's techniques but also the techniques of other gurus. Holly Mann is not the all-conclusive answer to internet marketing as there are those who are as bright, if not brighter, as talented, if not more talented, than Holly Mann.

I have been an affiliate of the Honest Riches Affiliate Program but to tell you the truth, I only sold one Honest Riches ebook. Yes, just one -- for the entire year that I am blogging about Holly Mann. But it's okay, the purpose of this blog is not to sell Holly Mann's eook.

I must conclude that by now, I already found out that I suck at internet marketing. I just can't make it, or break it, or fully grasp it. After you think you found a way to internet dollars, you will see that there is another smarter way, more effective way that you can utilize to make money online. But truth be told, gurus are out there to take your money. Be very careful who you trust.

One mantra of successful internet marketers who turned themselves into ebook authors or gurus is to sell and sell and sell to you over and over and over and over again with the promise of making you successful. But the cold hard fact is, only YOU, yes you, in your hands, perseverance, destiny, and decision can make yourself SUCCESSFUL.

And now I proclaim myself successful for being a blogger, not an internet marketer.

Back to the Current Layout

Finally, my blog layout control panel allowed me to revert to the updated settings. I used the classic template out of mistake and now, I'm glad I have the layout preference again. I will be more careful next time I edit my layout.

I think writing to Blogger admin did help and I appreciate that they responded to my query, not through email but by solving my dilemma. I think the layout preference is better and easier. It makes you put additions and gadgets in a snap. This is the foremost reason I use Blogger and not Wordpress.

So back to blogging again. I like my HollyMannia blog because this is the first blog that I created that I really put an effort on posting on and had the intention to keep it. Yes, I still write about my marketing endeavors after reading Honest Riches, the ebook of Holly Mann, and a lot more.

My PC crashed!

My PC crashed on the 21st of October for unknown reason. I used it in the morning and then I can't use it in the afternoon. I turned it on but it would not run. The monitor remained blank and the light indicator is amber.

Two weeks and $298.00 later, my PC is back. For two weeks since the crash all the days I could have spent online I spent watching the presidential election coverage. On the election day itself - November 4th -- my PC was fixed. I had to order an extended warranty from Dell.

As I suspected, either there was a connection issue or the system board had failed on my PC. It was a nightmare for a couple of hours. But my dismay turned to glee. I realized that I needed a break from the internet, anyway. I had been so wrapped up with all these interent marketing, trying to make money online, that I knew I could use some diversion. So all the days I did not have online access, I did not miss it. I took my time to rest from all the internet buzz and chaos.

So, two weeks of internet interruption? No harm done.

Squidoo - just discovered it

Today, I registered on Squidoo. I have read from some post some blog somewhere that it is a good site -- Google loves it and you can make money out of it. I have to find out yet.

I know that Squidoo is not new at all and for me to sign up this late is nothing of a news. Like Blogger, it is free and it has a limitless possibility as they put it. But what is the difference? Google loves Blogger, too.

The thing is, getting on Squidoo is like opening a can of worms for me. Well, replace that with can of work. Because I have to do a lens (as they call it at Squidoo) and that takes work just like blogging and writing articles.

Everytime I hear of a tool or a method out there, whether it's new, my antenna is up and it affects me in a pesky way if I don't get my hands on it, or if I don't know what it is all about. It's tiring all this game. But as one presidential candidate use the word "tirelessly" for him to work every single day in the White House, it kind of motivated me to do the same.

My energy is low right now, so low that that this post is not going anywhere. And I doubt it that I will be able to start to make a lens on Squidoo today either.

My Keyword Search

It seems to me that all the keywords in the world have been exhausted. I have been doing research on my keyword tool, trying to discover a word or phrase that is in high demand today but alas, they are all taken!

I had WordTracker trial for a week and during that whole week (actually it's just five days as I shut the computers on weekends), I painstakingly try to find a niche - or just keywords with high demand and low competition. I came up with only two phrases that may be profitable. I say 'may' because all keyword tools, including WordTracker, are all giving us estimates and not guarantees, anyway. There is no perfect keyword tool. But I guess WordTracker is the best because it is really thorough and extensive and we don't have to even download a software. We do the research on their system so we don't crash our computers or get banned from the search engines. WordTracker is just expensive but I guess the investment is worth it especially if you sign up for a year.

Well back to the two phrases that I came up with with the one-week trial I had with WordTracker, I did make money on one of those. Just yesterday, I earned $1.60. Can you believe that? Lots of work done on the research and lots of work putting together the campaign. Then I got $1.60. Well, better than nothing, right?

My New Holly Mann Website Look

I hope you like this new look of Hollymannia, my blog for Holly Mann or Honest Riches.

I accidentally deleted my previous template and in trying to upload a free version over the internet, I had reverted to the classic template. Now, I couldn't get back to the new layout system which is rather easier. So I have to have an instant HTML lesson and I did lots of calibration until I ended up with what I got now. I'm happy with it, though.

I don't know how to make the title of my blog, which is Hollymannia appear in the heading. And I've run out of patience. Also, I found out that with the classic template, I don't have a lot of option when it comes to Google Adsense. I just have to make do of what is available. I think over all, I did pretty good. Of course, with credits to the maker of the template.

The sunflowers -- I don't how to replace them. Yet.

So, here you go folks. I spent the whole day doing this blog makeover. Hope you like it.

CB Ad Rotator: What's the catch?

I came across this product, CB Ad Rotator, and it makes a lot of sense to me. As an affiliate marketer, it is hard to generate links and promote individual products from Clickbank. You have to research for suitable product for your website and it takes time and effort to do that. I think I found the solution.


CB Ad Rotator operates like a Google Adsense. You can customize your ads depending on the theme of your website, colors, and alignment. There's no need to do a research of what of Clickbank products to promote. And what's more, CB Ad Rotator updates by itself so you don't have to worry if the product you are promoting is discontinued or is no longer available.

I do earn a very humble earning from Google Adsense but it's just pennies by clicks, which are rather few and far in between (excuse my cliche). I was wondering how much of those clicks converted into actual leads or sales since I only get paid by the clicks. Now, I will not be paid for the clicks but for the sales.

Sales and not clicks. I think this can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. If someone buys from the ad, then you get a commission. If not, the click is useless. If someone does not buy from the ad, then you still make money because of the click. Kind of evens out in the end.

But the thing is, one can make even more money even if not all the clicks do not convert into a sale. You are not just getting pennies here. At least, that's what CB Ad Rotator is stressing. And if you don't improve on your Clickbank earnings, then you can get your money back. CB has a one time fee of $67. It's not free but there's a guarantee of 60 days -- no questions asked.

I think ClickBank itself should incorporate a kind of ad rotator into their affiliate program so people don't have to pay for something like this. After all, if the affiliates make money, ClickBank makes money. Everyone's happy.

For Serious Marketers Only

Last week, I almost bought an automatic article submitter. It's called Article Submitter and it claims it can submit up to 600 article websites or directories in just one click. I downloaded the standard version and it has all the components except that there is no button to submit the article.

The trial version of Article Submitter has a database of 85 article directories. You have to fill up your profile information as this is needed to sign up to any article site. Then, you can input or paste your article, both in plain text or HTML. The HTML version is for websites that requires that.

For some article directories, you need to type in a confirmation code to submit an article. Someone came up with this idea about to avoid spam. I read in forums that submitting articles automatically is considered spamming in itself yet there is no evidence to support this claim.

I thought Article Submitter can be better improved by having the capability of adding articles. Although Brad Callen, the maker of the program said they spent 18 months in building it, somehow, I feel like it is yet in its development phase.

The price of Article Submitter is a whopping $197 but it depends on what URL you landed. I found the same product for $97 and $167.

Holly Mann, in her ebook Honest Riches, recommended an article submission service. Two hundred thirty sites for $25. I was thinking the owner of this service has a kind of automatic article submission in order to do that for cheap. Holly Mann also listed a directory of Article Directories spanning four pages(Honest Riches 2007, pp.69-72). Just looking at the list makes me want to p***.

I think Article Submitter would benefit webmasters who are really keen on having backlinks to their sites. I was thinking that those marketers who have full sites should really invest in article submitter. It's really a pain to submit articles manually and to auto-submit your articles is just a welcome idea, if not for the price.

Nonetheless, after much deliberation, I decided not to pass on the Article Submitter. I weighed my options and decided to invest the money on something more important like the keyword tool.

Keyword Tools Research

I have been doing research on the most effective keyword tool. I don't want a free keyword tool because I know it would be limited. I found out a lot of tools or programs but I am undecided as of this time what to get.

I really would like to sign up with WordTracker but $59 for one month is a high price to pay in my situation. So I searched the internet if there are similar tools like WordTracker and I found Nichebot and Keyword Discovery among others. In Honest Riches, Holly Mann said Nichebot is free but it is actually not. There is a $1 trial for two weeks and after that you either have to cancel or upgrade. The platinum membership is less than half the price of WordTracker.

I'm doing my research on forums. I believe forums have the unbiased, balanced and sincere opinions regarding any product or service. Sure, they promote affiliate products at forums, too, but most forum members submit posts out of real experiences and they are posting not because of any financial gain or motive. Some don't even have a URL in the posts so you really can tell that they are honest.

I hope I will get the best tool eventually. I believe internet marketing would not flourish if there is no keyword tool or analysis. You just can't beat the system. The search engines are here to stay.

Holly Mann really recommends WordTracker but for now, I just can't afford to invest at it.

How good is usfreeads?

My last post was about classified ads and I tested this a little bit (p. 21 of Honest Riches 2007, Holly Mann) in order for me to know what work and what don't. And I come to the conclusion now that one cannot get away with a free system and make money out of it. As outlined in Holly Mann's ebook, Honest Riches, the first chapter is about making money without having a website and not making money without any capital at all.

I found usfreeads.com as one of best classified ads site mentioned by Holly Mann. And you know very well, reading from my posts here that I would not vouch for a product if it is not really good. The downside of it, is that it is a paid classified ad service. You cannot maximize the full potential of the classified advertising system of usfreeads without signing up for the gold or premium membership. As a matter of fact, I tried the free membership and although it was picked by Google the following day, it was useless because there was no link and usfreeads admin later disapproved it anyway. I read the terms and conditions and it says that if you intend to put affiliate links on the classified ads, you should have a paid membership.

I just also found out that Holly Mann has released Honest Riches 2008. I'm still holding a copy of Honest Riches 2007 which I just printed a week ago and now there is a newer version. I'm not surprised though. There are several information on Honest Riches 2007that is no longer valid. Like a one-day subscription of WordTracker. Plus there is no more trial version which is limited. It is replaced by a full trial version for seven days but you have to give your credit card number.

Honest Riches Classified Ads

I have printed the copy of Honest Riches 2007 by Holly Mann just so I can read it thoroughly. It's like starting all over again. It's overwhelming and Holly Mann is right when she mentioned at the end of the ebook that there may be a possibilty of information overload after reading it

I'm on the classified ads part of the ebook. Of all the three classified ads submission site that Holly Mann put there, there's only one that is acceptable for me. Well, not even. The classified ads work with brick and mortar businesses and not the website types. Also, if you won't join a gold membership which must be paid monthly at around $9.99 (discounted because this is a promotional rate), then, they would delete the .com part in your ad. URLs will only work with paid membership not with free membership.

One of the sites listed in the Holly Mann's eBook will display the link and URL but this is just for the city the publisher is located at. And there are only three categories where you can put them: events, for sale, and pets. I think you can also post at other locations but I don't have much time and enthusiasm to do that. Nevertheless, what can you get for free? If you don't have money to pay, you will need an extra effort to post your classified ads and believe me, posting free classified ads takes a LOT of effort.

Honest Riches Financial Report

To be exact, I bought the Honest Riches ebook by Holly Mann on August 16, 2006. I was very much pregnant then and just quit my job because I had a rather difficult pregnancy (more due to age). I was a stay-at-home mom after 11 years of working so it is an untraveled territory for me - being a stay-at-home mom. So I needed to do something to exercise my mind and to explore ways to make income. That's when I encountered Honest Riches, the ebook that Holly Mann authored in response to the Rich Jerk ebook which I first saw and was contemplating on buying. The rest is history.

Now, I just want to share how much I made after trying affiliate marketing. And please don't be discouraged if this is waaaaay under your expectation. I think I didn't do it right. Because if I did, I would not be earning just this. I had a sensitive pregnancy and could not even sit in front of the PC for an hour. I had to lay down and rest because the weight in my belly was so heavy breathing was hard. As I was in a difficult condition, it was natural for me to quit after a month or so of trying.

Yes, Honest Riches was not and never would be a get-rich-quick-scheme. The reason I did not get into it patiently at the start was because of my pregnancy and the long but rather mild post natal depression I had. My baby was also kind of very touchy, wanted to be held all the time. We also moved twice from then. I also tried other things in between like eBay selling and being a travel agent. Ebay is working a bit, getting extra cash from old stuff. The travel agency was also promising at the start but it required tons of work. And with an impatient person like me, quitting is a matter of second nature.

But looking at these figures and learning about this program called Law of Attraction, I'm getting into internet marketing again. This time, with a vengeance. I am to multiply my earnings up to 1000% by the end of the year. Yes, I will. I'm making the promise here in this blog.

So here are my honest-to-goodness financial earning after reading Honest Riches by Holly Mann:

Linkshare - $12.96 -read my blog here
Google Adsense - $38.27 -cannot get my check until the threshold of $100 is reached
Clickbank - $16.60 -cannot get my check because of the $100 minimum threshold, sorry me.

There you go, happy internet marketing everyone!

Buying Websites on eBay

All day yesterday, I was researching on the websites for sale on eBay. I just quit an unproductive and unrewarding endeavor so here I am, back to internet marketing.

As a stay-at-home mom, there is just nothing for me to do to make money except go online and do it. I cannot do real estate or car dealing or anything big like that as I am home-bound in every sense of the word. I have a child to take care of. My time to go online is even limited.

I looked at websites for sale on eBay. As you know, if it's on eBay, they are cheap. But looking at the websites, they do look great. With built-in Google Adsense, Amazon store, eBay store, and other affiliate network. They promote them as four-stream of income. Ready-made and as the product description says, the only thing you have to do is to advertise the site. That's the catch right there --you have to advertize the site. And God knows how a herculean task that is. People getting into a website business with no clue of how internet marketing works is in for a surprise and disappointment. I've been there and getting traffic to your site is just the biggest hurdle there is. A website is nothing without a visitor.

The websites come as package deal, with domain names and hosting. But the more I dig in, the more they become unappealing to me. These eBAy website vendors sell the same kind of website, not changing the look of the site and just changing the domain name. It's like they are just selling the hosting and not the website. Well, hosting is okay because it's more of a hassle to transfer the website and the domain name and you are going to get the same rate anyway. But would you like to own one of the hundred or so websites with similar apperance, subject, and content? Think twice.

I thought twice and backed out.

Domain Name Expiration Notice

Yesterday, I received a solicitation letter from a domain name company with a heading: Domain Name Expiration Notice. It's a catch. First of all my domain name is not with them, they just know it's expiring and they want to get my business. They won't

Now, this particular domain that I have is hosted free by another company and somehow, it's just wasting away and I have not done anything with it since last year. I'm surprised that the domain was grabbed by a domain company, it even knows when it expires.

But of course, there shouldn't be any surprises because it is listed in the WHOIS directory. My name and address is even out there. I'm thinking the extra money that you pay so you would not be in the WHOIS directory is all worth it. Upon signing up with a domain name in any company, you will be asked if you want it. I don't think it is offered with a free hosting just like what I have.

I have been thinking of removing and cancelling this domain account for a long time. There are just a few kind-of-complicated steps to do that's why I've been procrasinating on it. But today, it could be my project. Or it could be not. It's free, why would I get rid of it?

The thing about free hosting though, even if it is ad-free, is that you are so limited with what you can do on the site itself. And you can't place Google ads and interactive affiliate links on it, too. The more restrictions you have, the less productive the website becomes.

Balancing Motherhood and Internet Marketing

For most of us moms, who, by choice, stay at home to care for our children, life doesn't end being homemakers. God created us with talents and capabilities unique to ourselves. We should continue to live our calling despite motherhood.

That's why the internet is a very popular way to involve ourselves into. Even if it doesn't make us money, we still continue to utilize its use. The internet gives us the channel to improve, develop, and learn new ways.

There are many areas where we can make money through the internet, though we must be wary of scams. How to know? Read thoroughly and skeptically. Ask questions. Research on the internet. Make the most out of Google. It is always the case that if something sounds too good, then it is not true.

Mothers know that caring for their kids on their own is the most ideal way to bring up a child. And it is. Helping out in the finances come second. If you are a single mom, just like the case of Holly Mann, author of Honest Riches, and to whom this blog is inspired by, then you really should be committed. Being a work-at-home-mom is not without its difficulty but if you start out right, then you will avoid the pain of wasting your time and money.

Do not underestimate the power of education. If you are educated enough on what you want to do, then you will succeed. Yes, you will. There is a Holly Mann to prove that.

Read Holly Mann's story.

Top of Google

Today, I searched the Hollymannia blog and was surprised to see that it is now on the top page of Google using the keyword Holly Mann.

Creating this blog back in December, it took eight months for it to reach the top. This would have been exciting if I have also been on top of the game (of internet marketing). But I'm not, right now. I'm just re-starting all over again. It puzzles me though that MSN and Yahoo do not index it as high as Google. I'm wondering if it's because this is a Blogger blog and as we all know, Blogger is owned by Google.

But I could not complain. I should be thankful, and I am.

This blog is proof that what Holly Mann said in it's ebook, Honest Riches is true: you have to put as many keywords in your site as you can so the search engines would pick it. That's what I did in the beginning of this blog. But as you see, it took a lot of posts and writing before it happened. I don't really know exactly when this blog reached the top. But I'm sure it is on the eighth month -- which is now.

This is one effort rewarded in my internet marketing endeavor and it gives me reason to go on.

Back to Internet Marketing

Today, I resolved to read Holly Mann's ebook, Honest Riches all over again. I want to rekindle my passion on internet marketing. As a mom taking care of an 18-month old, the only recourse for me to develop my skills and be financially productive is through the internet. The internet is right in my home, 24-hours a day, and it's just there for the taking -- as soon and as long as the needs of my child are met.

So, I'm coming back. This time, I will really put my mind into it. It's not that I didn't last time. It's just that my eyes were just set on the prize and not the process. I think, too,that did not read Holly Mann's eBook word by word. Though I took Honest Riches to heart, I did not take it to mind. I mean, I need more skills; more knowledge. This time, I'll take my emotion out of it. I'll do it by the book and see what happens.

Gap

I don't know about you but I haven't been active with all my internet endeavors for over a month now. There has been a long gap between me posting anything substantial to this blog. More often, I just write things that do not make any sense with internet marketing. I've been into other things and been planning of moving on to something real and tangible.

But I'm not giving up the Holly Mann blog for any reason. I have this started and I will hold on to it. Anyway, it doesn't cost anything to maintain a blog. Maybe just your time.

I often say to myself, words are cheap and blog is free. But actually, they are both free and words are not cheap. Words come with a price and they can cost you a lot if you are not careful with them. That's why there are these terms called libel and slander -- journalism jargons that are household terms. Sometimes, people misuse these words not understanding the fact they can really be complicated and difficult to establish.

Anyway, my point is, I will continue this blog for as long as I could. I'm heading to a different direction at this point in time in my life. But still, I may change my mind. As Judge Judy says, women change their minds -- that's what they do. For that, I have the prerogative to go to any direction at any time as I see fit.

Looking Back

I haven't been writing for some time now because of personal matters and my travel business. (To tell you, the travel industry is at its peak even with the sky rocketing price of gas.) I've taken this hiatus and am glad to get back to internet marketing.

Yesterday, I looked back at the posts I have made to the Hollymannia blog and was surprised to see a number of errors in them. I always try to edit my posts before and even after publishing them but errors are just unavoidable. I have misspelled common words time and again and it is a little disconcerting finding them out later.

That's why in Journalism, we were taught about the importance of proofreading. And it should not be the writer herself who should do so. An article always needs a second eye to be edited. Since I don't have a proofreader, I have to take a keen look and make a double effort in editing my posts.

I have been very selective on the comments that I approve because I don't want Hollymannia to be a venue for advertising and publicity by other marketers and blog authors. (Sorry about that!) I think you can publish your opinions elsewhere as I believe that there is a platform for all ideas even if it is not here.

This blog has been very benefical as well as valuable to me. I have learned different lessons here -- not only about internet marketing but about life as a whole. I appreciate the regular followers as well as the chance readers who encounter this blog everyday for their own purposes. God bless you all and thank you.

What A Big World It Is

I just came back from a two-week vacation abroad. It's nice to take a vacation and have a fresh new start coming back.

At the airport, I saw plenty of people from everywhere, speaking different language, looking like the people of their countries of origin, thinking with a mindset of their cultures. But then I thought, as unique as any person is, almost everyone would have a Yahoo email account. It sure is a big world out there and there is an endless sea of people out there but the internet makes everyone of us share the same characteristic. Everyone uses the internet and it doesn't matter if it's for business, family matters, school, or leisure.

If there's an endless stream of people using the internet, then indeed, we, internet marketers, have an audience and a market out there. We just have to tap them. There can never be a shortage of consumers because there are more than we can ever handle. If we are doing the right thing, then we will be able to reach our target audience and be successful internet marketers.

Now, that's an inspiration.

Website Building

It's hard to design a website. For me, it's like an artist's job. In journalism, we call it lay-out design. And it is really. You think of all the elements that should work together to make the website visually fantastic -- eye-catching, eye-guiding, and eye-friendly.

Now let me explain those further.

1. Eye-catching -- your design must be visually appealing. If it is flat, no one would read it, right? But make it too decorative, and it's not going to work, either. Yes, it would attract attention but not readership.

2. Eye-guiding -- the placement of your articles, graphics, and other things that make up your website should flow smoothly.

3. Eye-friendly -- if the website tires the eyes, then who would read it? Do you like reading a website with a bright background?

Here are the elements that you should consider in designing your website:

color
placement
blank space

Blank space is important because it gives the eyes a resting place. It also makes your website a breathing space.

Choosing Your Mentor

In this field of internet marketing, it is impossible to get through without a mentor. But choosing your mentor well would benefit you in the end. And don't worry, there's a lot of them out there. Just do your research because all of them has a price. Don't rush as well, because when you rush, it affects your good judgment.

Also, before deciding if that mentor is right for you, think if the field he or she is into is what you really want to do, or you at least have a background on it. Make sure that you would also not tire of the work ahead. As much as possible, be certain that you pick something that you enjoy doing.

Of course, you can pick Holly Mann. Yes, there has been nothing negative that is said about her. I have long stopped researching about Holly Mann although she is the "name" of my blog. But there are plenty of her in the search engines. Now what would you be looking for? You should look at the success rate of the people who bought her ebook Honest Riches.

Yes, a mentor may have all the integrity and all the honesty in the world but think that your aim is to make money. If the techniques that she laid out are not making you any, then she is a failure. A successful internet marketer should be making money. That is why you are buying an eBook on how to make money online, much more about breakthrough money making secrets.

Choosing your mentor is the second step. Knowing which direction you want to go is the first.

$12.96

Somehow, my birthday wish was granted.

On April 1st, I wrote:

Since April is my birth month, my wish for this month is to make money (no matter how impossible it is at where I am right now) from internet marketing. Now, that's wishful thinking!

Then yesterday, April 29th, I received my first affiliate check ever. It is for $12.96. The check came from an affiliate company where I am subscribed to.

I could not believe it. I have long since deleted affiliate links from my websites and in my blogs since I thought they were useless anyway. I thought I was just wasting my space. So I did website makeovers and blog makeovers when my WowEzine.com was in a crash.

Okay, I still have some affiliate links but not as part of the site but as part of the content that I write. Like this blog still links to Holly Mann's site.

But the main thing is, I got this super-doper check and it is very little but big enough for me to get going. It paid off somehow. Is it my wishful thinking or my effort? I don't know and I don't care.

But now the inspiration is going through my blood again. Pat in my back. Congratulations myself. Way to go, girl!

Spreading Yourself Thin

In the realm of internet marketing, there is plenty of choices. You can do affiliate marketing, product reviews, niche marketing, website building, blah, blah, blah. When you venture in all these, you can surely create a multiple streams of income.

However, these are just too many heading off to different directions. One needs to specialize in order to succeed. It's called singleness of purpose. If the purpose is money, then you can do a lot. But, one also needs to do what one enjoys doing. To each according to his/her own talent. But then arguably, the talent can be that of making money.

All I can say is that when you do so many things, you spread yourself thin. I am concentrating now on developing my website. It does not make any monetary return at this time but I do think that each one's labor will be rewarded in the end. After all, you reap what you sow, right?

Now, these are just philosophical babbles as you would think. I think this is what I become for not making anything out of internet marketing. Honestly, I don't see the end of the rainbow yet because it is still raining. When it rain, it pours. And the rain of this kind does not represent blessings. It's the rain of absurdity.

Having Versus Knowing

As an introduction to this blog, I wrote that when it comes to internet marketing, Holly Mann has it. And in trying to share it, she wrote an ebook called, Honest Riches.

But having is different from knowing. Look at me, I read Honest Riches and know everything there is in internet marketing (if Holly Mann is honestly saying that she revealed it all in her ebook) but I'm still not rich.

So in order for us to be successful internet marketers, we have to have the talent and the destiny for it. Not just knowledge. Knowledge sometimes sucks. When you know too much and it's not helping, knowledge becomes a liability. It's just there to remind you that you are not good enough.

Dead Spirit

I was complaining before of my website which was down for a good four weeks. Now, my website is working. But the thing is, I'm now out of energy and enthusiasm to work on it.

When it was out, I was brimming with cool ideas on what to do. The lull even led me into creating another blog, tvmomma. Like all the ideas are on top of my head. Light bulb after light burb turning on. Now, there is no light, and worse, there is no bulb.

I don't know if this kind of "hole" happens to anyone. Nothing can make me excited again on internet marketing. It's as if I've exhausted all -- resources, effort, and money. No result. Now, I've vanished into nothingness.

For right now, I will just have to blog about my dead spirit.

My Mind Is Frozen

Days like this come. Some days, my mind is brimming with ideas; other days, it's just dead.

So what do I have to do? Shake my brain until my creative juice pours out? Or just let it rest? I hate it when I'm unproductive, as most people do. I mean most people hate it, not that most people are unproductive. Well but maybe the second statement also holds true.

Blame it on the weather. It's gloomy in Florida and it is going to be in the low 40s this week. Aha! That's a bright idea. My mind is frozen because it's cold atmospherically. That is a well good excuse.

Now I can put the frozen mind issue to rest.

My Enthusiasm Is Declining

Somehow, I'm getting tired of internet marketing. My website is back and I can't bring back the enthusiasm I had with it before. Like there's no fun with it like when I first started it.

I have no members, I have no comments, I don't even know if anyone is reading my website.

Sunny Day Again

Yes, now that my website is working, the sun is shining through my window again. I like my website. It is not back to its original shape but it is okay. I'm starting to write again. Three weeks of limbo and now, back in the light.

I remember the Scriptlance programmer suggested that I buy a software (that he is selling!) for articles. Content is very important to any site as Holly Mann herself wrote in her eBook, Honest Riches. So this programmer who himself runs magazine sites like mine recommended a software that would make content building easier. It's a software that revises the article so it does not duplicate the original.

I see two reasons why this is a good idea. First, search engines don't like sites with similar contents and thus, would not index them. So your website may not be searchable if you copy contents from other websites. The second is plagiarism. Of course, some articles online may be copyrighted and copying and pasting them in your own site would not do you any better.

But you know what? I'm glad I did not buy the software. I saw an article I submitted to some ezines during my wealthyfreelancer.com saga (now, this is no longer mine as somebody "stole" the domain name) and lo and behold, it kind of murdered my original article. What the software does is substitute the words with the same meanings. For me, it's like a thesaurus that replaces a word with its synonym. But the software is not a thinking machine just like a person. The overall result is horrible... like written by someone drunk or dumb or both.

I hope I copied the revised version so I can show you. Maybe next blog.

Busy On My Website

I have been very busy with my website because it is now back to life. Thank God. I am working double time to fill the site up with articles. It's very tiring and a bit frustrating to start all over again but that's life.

Just like in Martina McBride's song, Anyway, we can build something from nothing and spend our whole life building it but a storm can just come and destroy all of it. That happened to my website. In this case it's not a storm but a digital crash. Yes, it is disheartening but as the song goes, I'll rebuild it anyway.

Thanks for all of you who take time to check out my website. It inspires me to have people like you who read my articles. You are also very welcome to join WowEzine.com.

Blogger or Wordpress?

I prefer Blogger than Wordpress. This blog is made from Blogger. Holly Mann personally recommended Wordpress to me (read her letter to me here) and that's when I came to know Wordpress.

But Wordpress is very hard to learn. I don't really consider myself a dummy when it comes to making webspages but there sure is a lot of learning curve with Wordpress. And since I just wanted a blog, Wordpress does not work.

I made several attempts to do a blog with Wordpress but its level of difficulty is just so high that I have to either delete or discontinue the blog. It becomes frustrating so rather than fighting the system, just leave.

With Blogger, there is an ease of use. You can choose the template and edit the template. You can add or remove page elements. They said that there's not a lot of options with Blogger but the thing is, it's all up to you how you would make the best out of the options you are given. Blogger does not really impose on how you want your blog to look like. And to sweeten the deal, you can always put Google Adsense in your blog.

Welcome April!

I can't believe it is now April. It has been months since I started this blog and so far I cannot write any positive report on it. I think I'm not really following Holly Mann's eBook. Maybe it's really hard for me to learn. Fiasco after fiasco. I think I had it all.

By the way, I want to thank Glen Woodfin for making an effort to post comments to my previous posts. Thanks a lot for the input. I know that you notice how novice and naive I am when it comes to internet marketing. Maybe it is not really my alley. Or should I say niche?

I really want to belong to this world of successful internet marketing. I just don't want to be a Google adsense basket case. Yes, I'm not really seeing any hope right now. And I am firm on not going to spend any more money. It is not just working for me.

Since April is my birth month, my wish for this month is to make money (no matter how impossible it is at where I am right now) from internet marketing. Now, that's wishful thinking!

My Website Is Rising From the Dead

Yes, it is. My website now has something in it:

Index of /

Icon Name Last modified Size Description[DIR] cgi-bin/ 27-Mar-2008 08:45 -

Apache/2.0.63 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.0.63 OpenSSL/0.9.7a mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 PHP/5.2.5 Server at wowezine.com Port 80

I made contact with the programmer, exactly two weeks after. He said the reason was a digital crash in hostgaotr, which he said is the No. 1 hosting company in the world.

There are more explanations and more bullshits but I didn't care. I just wanted to have my website running again. I really miss it.

So I said show me the website no later than Friday and we are still in business. He is working on it now and I hope he will meet my deadline.

Pay Per Post

My sister introduced me to this pay per post system wherein a blogger is paid for every post she makes pertaining to a product. She told me of a friend who made about $800.00 out of it.

But that friend now feels sorry she did pay per post. Her wordpress blog lost its Google Page Rank of 4. Yes 4 to nothing. My sister said Google doesn't like pay per post. Now, because her blog is not ranking anymore, she could not get any more project from pay per post. So I said, why would I do it?

From my understanding, pay per post is getting paid for posting or blogging a product or service. It is covert advertising. You are writing about a product and promoting it. But your blog has to meet certain criteria in order to qualify as a pay-per-post blog.

I don't know the whole picture about pay per post yet. Need more research and will blog it later.

Somebody Stole My Domain Name

Can't believe that my domain name is now owned by another person. I'm talking of wealthyfreelancer.com. Yes, someone bought it and it is parked free courtesy of a hosting company.

Now this is what I call legal stealing.

Why? Because wealthyfreelancer is an establsihed domain name. What with all the URLs there are over the internet. See for yourself, type wealthyfreelancer.com on Google.

Because I did not renew it, somebody took interest. Now, I regret letting it go.

Honest Riches Is Useless

I am so angry at this point. I think my patience has been drained. What an experience this has been. You try hard and work hard but then you efforts go to waste.

I have spent money, time, and energy with all these internet marketing. But still no fruit for my labor. And this in return for all the trust and faith I gave.

For those who want to go into internet marketing, you are just wasting yoour time and money. There is no better honest way to make money than tangible means. Get a job; sell physical goods. Info-prenuer is just hype. They are all there to get your money. And no, I'm not making an exception.

Another Day in Limbo

Here's my final report on Scriptlance: don't hire your programmer there. Scriptlance has no guarantee with the job. Once you choose the bid, it's between you and the programmer. Once the money is in escrow, you cannot withdraw the money if the programmer would not cancell it. You really have no power in your hands. Learn from my mistake. Read my previous posts and see for yourself.

Exactly two weeks have passed and the money I paid to the programmer, $240 in all, would most likely vanish. I can't access my website, i can't contact the programmer, I can't do anything. I contacted Scriptlance and the only thing they could do is re-open the project so I can post a message to the programmer. Yes, after the project closes, you cannot contact the programmer. What is sadder is that I also bought my webhosting and domain name with this programmer so pretty much, my website, my articles, my dear ideas, my concepts, and my whole internet dream go with it.

What can you say Holly Mann? Do you still recommend Scriptlance?

Holly Mann Proved Herself Right

Since my website is not working, I have been busy with other online activities. One of them is eBay selling. I have been an eBay seller since last year. I have 34 points with a 100% positive status. I happen to be registered as a travel agent so I thought I will post one travel deal trhough eBay.

It is hard to sell travel on eBay, its partner company has to validate you and you have to pay a joining fee plus $9.95 monthly fee. It is too much for me since I am not planning to post travel deals on eBay on a regular basis.

Good thing, I can still list the travel deal as 'other travel' which means I don't have to be registered or validated. I did that. It was okay. Then I thought I would add my email address and travel website. To my amazement, the eBay system accepted it and even made it clickable. To make the story short, I was able to post my listing. End of that portion of the story.

Now, I read from Holly Mann's ebook, Honest Riches that eBay does not allow you to put links in the description. She then shared a trick on how to overcome this restriction.

While writing my product description on eBay, I was kind of testing the water. In my mind, I expected that eBay would not accept my listing once I submit it. Then, it went through with links and all. I thought Holly Mann was wrong. Or that her advise was no longer applicable. Maybe now, eBay accepts links unlike before.

Well, Holly Mann proved herself right. Exactly 24 hours after I posted my travel listing, I got an email alert from eBay saying that they ended the auction because of invalid links. I could not use links/URLs because it is against eBay policy.

Meanwhile, I already had three watchers for my listing. I lost all of them. I wrote eBay and asked if they could relist the item but minus the links. And eBay did reply back one day later. They said they could not relist it again because once they end the auction, the template is not saved. Good thing is, I could relist the item myself. This time, I'll be more careful not to put links and follow Holly Mann's technique.

Sorry, I can't share the technique here but you could learn about it and more other useful things when you buy her eBook.

Happy internet marketing, everyone... and wish me luck!

More Website Blues

Since my website is out, I have been busy with other things. Yes, what can I do about it? I hope my programmer is not yet dead. My advise to anyone who wants to sign up with cheap hosting, DON'T! Better sign up with the giants. Even if they are expensive, they are reliable and you don't have to worry about them going out of business. The only issue is the price but in the long run, it would pay for itself.

I already know about this even before I signed up with an unknown hosting, they are called resellers. But the reason I signed up with this reseller is because he is also my programmer. I found him from Scriptlance. And going back, it is Holly Mann who recommended Scriptlance in her Honest Riches eBook. (This blog is all about my internet marketing stint after buying Holly Mann's eBook).

The price I'm paying right now exceeds what I bargained for. I really choose a low bid (but not the lowest bid) when I have the project posted at Scriptlance. The programmer offered his service, his own CMS, and his own hosting. Looks like a sweet package deal but it turns out to be bitter. Don't get me wrong, the programmer is smart and accommodating but there are matters that are beyond him. Like this internet service interruption. I don't know where the damage is done. The bigger problem is that he is unreachable. If his internet is shut down, he won't be able to get online. And so this cycle of frustrations coming through.

I hope that by this experience, someone would learn the lesson and not make the same mistake like I did.

My Website is Not Yet Running!

I am really very upset. One bad thing after another. This is the height of my internet fiasco. I don't know what's going on. Can somebody please help?

My Wow Ezine is now better called Gone Ezine. Yes, even the website of the webhost is gone. Where do I go from here?

My Website Fiasco

As of now, my website connection is not working. This really sucks. I have an unreliable hosting. Now, I'm realizing the quality of a cheap hosting. For three days now, I cannot access my website; so is everyone. It's really really frustrating.

I got my webhosting package from an Indian based company which is operated by the Scriptlance programmer that I hired. I originally signed up with BlueHost as recommended by Holly Mann in her eBook Honest Riches. But since the space or bandwidth offered by BlueHost cannot accommodate the big chunk of data that my website requires, I have to cancel my account with BlueHost and go with the one suggested by the programmer at Scriptlance. I did and now I'm paying the price.

Actually, he gave me a $50 discount just to match up the price of Bluehost but with a bigger number of gigabytes. Plus, he also gave me free domain hosting. What a deal you may think, right? It went well at first but this is the second time in one and a half month that I could not access my website.

I am practically a newbie and I have not foreseen this problem coming. It's really making me down and weak and all the negative energy you and I can think of is taking me over. One bad thing is that my webhost/programmer cannot be reached because he is also affected by this internet blackout. It really sucks from the ground up to the top down, sideways, and around. Whatever.

For those who want to see my website, please click this: Wow Ezine. If nothing comes up, that means it is not yet working at the time you read this. And that means I am still sulking in the dark.

Building WebsiteThrough Royalty-Free Content

It has been weeks since I made my last post here. It was just hectic doing my website. Website needs content especially when you are just selling information. Holly Mann in her Honest Riches eBook said we can use some royalty-free articles and graphics just to fill in our website. I chose not to use royalty-free articles but I did that with graphics.

It's just difficult to come out with pictures especially when you want a picture of Jamaica or the Eiffel Tower in your website. Good thing, there's royalty-free photos.

Not with articles. I do not use articles that were written by other people even if they are not copyrighted. I just feel like my website should offer something new, something different. For a lot of website owners, they compromise the quality of content just so their websites would rank high in search engines. I hope I am not hitting on anyone in saying this. I just personally want my content to be all-original, fresh, and never been published nor read before.

I want to set the example to the future members/contributors/writers of my site. I will be the head editor so I want to show a good example. No matter how vague, how, mundane, or how small an idea is, it has a room in my website. It is just a matter on how you present your ideas. It is just a matter of how strongly you feel about something. If it is yours and you really want to share it with others, then your article has a room in my website.

Once again, I want everyone to know that Wow Ezine is a medium that you can use to further your internet marketing efforts. That and so much more. So do visit when you got a chance.

Holly Mann Gave Me The Idea

After reading Honest Riches about one and a half years ago, I was inspired to have a website of my own. At that time, my mind was all about making money online. So came Wealthy Freelancer, my first website. It was a get-wealthy-ideas website. I wrote quite a number of articles for it and most of them I put in my current one.

But the thing of get-wealthy-ideas, they run out. Soon, I have no ideas to write about. Well actually I have a number of ideas but only one for every topic. For a website to be successful there must be a lot of content in one topic. Well, that coupled with my pretty sensitive condition (pregnancy) made me quit the site. Temporarily at first then decided would be for good.

About one year after giving birth, I needed to do something again to make sense of who I am. And being homebound, I have to resort to the internet again as there is no channel for me to do that.

As I read through Holly Mann’s new version of Honest Riches, it occurred to me how she repeatedly pointed out to writing articles as a way to increase exposure to your website. More URLs from other websites mean more outside links. Writing articles can be profitable too in writing product reviews or just a way to promote your affiliate products. One thing that you should watch out though is the strict rules set by magazine or ezine sites. One must follow rules like no affiliate links, no promotions, and no URLs allowed.

Then the light bulb turned on in my head. Having my own ezine can help me express myself and promote whatever product I want with no restrictions. I am the ezine; I set the rules. Then I told myself, I would also do the same to anyone who wants to submit articles on my site. It would be a free exchange of ideas, a total marketplace.

But starting an ezine is not that easy, as chronicled by the posts I wrote here in Hollymannia. It is a special program and not everyone can do it. I contacted web design sites, one of which I previously used, and got a reply that they don’t do such websites. So from the start, it was a rough road to take.

An ezine thrives in content as it is an ezine, supposedly a pot of articles, ideas, and what-name-you. Content is king and it is hard to build up content. It will really take time. Maybe it will take a year or so before it can finally take off. That means I have to wait, be patient. No, money would not come easily.

It is hard for an ezine to be indexed by search engines because it is not concentrated in one topic. It is not a niche. Too many keywords, too much supply out there. An ezine can go to different directions and would have a slim chance of making it to the top because of the multiplicity of content. I also checked the competition and there were just too many out there. One of the possible ones already left a comment to this blog when I introduced the site. Had it not been to my firm decision that this is the right website for me, then I would have already given it up.

I have more commitment to sticking to this website than in my previous one. I definitely would make it work no matter what. I’m so determined that even I can’t believe it. All I can say is “Wow!”

Please visit my website at WowEzine.com.

My Website Name

Before choosing Wow as a name to my website, I really searched my soul and searched online to see if there is already a concept like it. Well, I've seen women on the web for a group of women in San Francisco and there is another one which is a pro-choice. Actually there is an ezine I saw which is called wow articles. The reason I saw it was because one programmer who bid on my project asked me if I would like a website like that so he could clone it. That's when it struck me, wow is a good name for a website but I have to take it to the next level. Let wow stand for something, make it an acronym. That's when Women on the Web came to my mind.

No, I didn't hire that programmer because I wanted a website that is unique. Something that is from scratch, not cloned, not syndicated.

Furthermore, I have never heard of, nor ever thought that W.O.W would be Women on Writing.

I got this comment from my previous post (which was yesterday) from someone from that website. All I can say is that it is my very first time to see your ezine. Never heard of it and it never turned up in the search engines. My website is women on the web, not on writing as I know my members would not be writers.

No one has a monopoly on the word "wow" as it is a very general term. But yes, I felt bad that there is another magazine of the same name. I have always strived to be unique and would not be proud of anything copied. I have never plagiarized and as you can see, I would only publish original articles on my website. My programmer suggested RSS feed but I would never even go to that.

All I can say is the world is too big for our trails to meet. I can't even believe you found my blog. I honestly hope success for you ,and if you already got it, then more success your way.

Introducing Wow Ezine

Wow Ezine is networking magazine for women on the web. And there's no better way to describe it than the way it is described in the About Page in the site.

Wow Ezine is a fresh new website and a very young community of women working on the web. Owing to its name “wow” – an expression of stunned admiration, we only want to publish original articles with quality content and “wow” factor.
Wow Ezine is created for women by women and currently has an open membership. It operates in three ways:

Share it! Do you have an idea that you want to share? Perhaps you have an experience that you think other people would relate to. Maybe you have a knack for writing and you need a channel to show off your talent. Or you simply want to voice your opinion over something. Big or small, mundane or magnanimous, it has a place here.

Sell it! Do you have your own business? Do you own a website? Are you an infopreneur? Wow Ezine is a terrific site to gain exposure for your website, advertise your online enterprise, or promote your cool ideas. Wow Ezine is a free marketplace.

Support it! Giving back makes a fulfilling life. The more you give, the more you get. We encourage members to look up what others are sharing or selling. We are a community and we build it by supporting one another. Wow Ezine is a place to network and build relationships.

Hope readers of this blog would check out and join WowEzine.com.

Website Coming Soon

I remember Christmas day on the way to Christmas dinner at the Hyatt, we drove onby the highway and I looked over the horizon, the vastness of Tampa Bay meeting the endless skies before us. My daughter was strapped at the back of the car and my husband is listening to "Sweet Melissa" on the radio. It was a quiet time. And all I could think of was my website. I thought of what it is going to be like, what it should read in the main page, what colors, what pictures. It was Christmas day and in a week's time, new year. Lots of hopes for a brighter year. Who knows what dreams would come true in 2008?

Yes, I'm feeing nostalgic right now. I just talked to the programmer at Scriptlance and he was doing a great job --modifications, additions, and deletions-- in my site. I'm keepping my fingers crossed about the fate of this website. Now, I'm accepting the fact that it does not have to be within my taste and specification. I will accept whatever it comes out to be because I know the programmer is doing its best, anyway. It's a functoning website and the beauty will just be secondary.

I looked at other websites and even the top grossing ones do not have a really good design (to my taste at least). So this will be good. It has to. And maybe by next week, I will be launching my website.

Third Month of Holly Mann Blog

This is the third month that I have been blogging Holly Mann. There are some developments but definitely no success. Success comes hard to some people. I just have to accept that. I have been following the steps in the eBook, Honest Riches for some time now. And yes, no favorable result so far. The funny thing is, I've been concentrated about my website but there are many unexpected circumstances that has been delaying it. Thus, my internet marketing stint is on hold. For when and how long? I honestly don't know.

I began blogging about Holly Mann's techniques (yes, the techniques and not the person) since December of 2007. As I read through the Honest Riches 2007 version, the idea of a website comes to me. No, it is not suggested in Honest Riches. Just reading it gave me the idea. And I worked on it. I went to Scriptlance, as recommended by Holly Mann, to outsource the building of this website. In my level, it is an ambitious website. Until now, I'm self-debating if I made the right choice choosing a programmer from India. But as Holly Mann said in her eBook, Honest Riches, most of the talented programmers at Scriptlance come from India.

Well, talent-wise I have no complaint. But I chose the bid on January 4th and the bid was $130 for 3 days. The date now is February 1st and so far, the programmer is still building it. There were may delays and interruptions-- technical and personal (on the part of the programmer). The latest delay was the massive internet blackout in the Middle East that affected a number of countries including India. And yes, as I posted yesterday this is a valid excuse, along with others.

Holly Mann, I think I need your words of wisdom on this. Can you please post a comment?

Valid Excuses

Today is end of the month. And there is another delay to the release of my website. There was an overall internet interruption in India and it affected my programmer's local server. I post a message to him asking why I was not seeing any difference on my site since two days ago. In his message, the programmer provided a link to the news. Well, the excuse is valid again.

With all these hold in my website what would you call it? Stroke of fate, mis-chance, ill-luck. What else can you add?

New Name for Holly Mann Blog

Holly Mann Blog is now HOLLYMANNIA. It sounds fit to the blog. I also added a little color to make the page looks better, if not appealing. What do you think?

Last week, I posted that I'm planning to do a makeover to the Holly Mann Blog. So this is it. Hollymannia. I looked up the meaning of mania and it meant thing, craze, enthusiasm, passion. Well, I don't have those for Holly Mann the person but for internet marketing which is what the eBook she wrote called Honest Riches is all about.

My website will soon be completed and there will be a time when posting in this site will be down to one a week. I will devote more time to my website, the real one. In the meantime, I will still write to Hollymannia for as much as I can.

Aim and Fire

I communicated with the programmer at Scriptlance today. And for the first time, he asked me specific questions about what I want for the site, like color and placement. It's taking shape now. Not really the way I would imagine it would look but it's okay. I think of it as letting an artist draw what I want. Whatever comes up is his own but my concepts. I hope the website will look better than what it is right now.

It's my first time ever to commission someone to do my website. I'm very hands on. I do everything. But Holly Mann, author of the eBook, Honest Riches said I can benefit from outsourcing my internet projects. Especially if it is too much to handle. I chose to go to Scriplance following Holly Mann's recommendation. My experience is not really that wonderful. I had problems with the programmer. I believe this is a case-to-case scenario. Like for some people, their Scriptlance experience would be splendid. Not for me. But I do think I selected a good programmer. It's out of my control if he was having issues with his family. That got in the way in delivering my website soon enough. Actually 26 days compared to 3 days is a lot of day-difference. (On his bid he put 3 days to accomplish the website.) But what can I do? I already escrowed the payment. I just have to keep my fingers crossed that at the end of these all, the website will be good.

Each morning as I wake up I hope there is a development that took place to my site. It's the first site I visit when I turn on the PC. It's always a disappointment. In a larger scale, I'm still thinking if internet marketing is right for me. I know I work hard on it but things just arent right. Things tend to go wrong and it is beyond my reach. I kind of envy successful online entrepreneurs. Top on my list is Holly Mann who authored the eBook Honest Riches. She really made it. Should I follow the steps in her eBook or not? I don't know. Whether I did, there blunders and then discouragement follows.

There was a song I listened to on a cable music channel that says be fearless. It's a teenage song and I think it applies to me right now. I mean I need to be fearless and just do what it takes. Even if it took all my time and finances. Even if it took all my enthusiasm. For me, doing this whole internet marketing is like a shooting game. I aim without seeing the target; and I fire without knowing if I have the right gun. Now, that statement is a Holly Mann Blog original. Remember that you first read it here.

I SOL at Scriptlance

I think I really did had a bad luck at Scriptlance. No website until now. The programmer is not communicating with me. The last time he did was on Friday, January 25th, exactly 21 days after I chose his bid ($130 for 3 days), he said he was having family problems and could not work on the website. How would I react to that? Add pain to his injury by getting angry?

I lost three weeks already since I chose the bid. No website coming up this January and it's hurting my internet marketing stint. It really does since I put a lot of conceptualization and planning into it. This month should go to the application of the project. Now, it will take another month because I have to develop the content yet before finally launching the website.

Holly Mann, the author of the eBook Honest Riches highly recommends Scriptlance but my experience is negative so far. Maybe my case is just isolated. I still hope things will pick up. There really are a lot of bumps down the road.

Again in fairness to the programmer, he did promise me that he would really do a good job once everything is done. He said he would reciprocate the trust I gave him in doing this project and that he is the right person to do this job.

Only God knows at this time.

Things Are Looking Up

I just checked with the programmer at Scriptlance. He's not dead. Actually, he re-laid out my website dessign. Things are looking up. Though the design does not look fit to my taste and high enough to my standard, I'm just glad that there are developments going on. In fairness to this programmer, I think he is pretty good and beside his name at the Scriptlance website is a ribbon that says he is a Certified Programmer. Plus, he got ten stars underneath his name. That means all the reviews are great.

I outsource the design of my website through Scriptlance because Holly Mann recommends it in her eBook, Honest Riches. It works like eBay where the projects are for auction. I think it is an Indian based website as most programmers are from India but I'm not really sure. Sure, there are programmers from other partsof the country, too like Germany, Canada, Europe, and United States but most are from India.

I got about 18 bids for my project. Now, the choosing of the winning bid does not depend on the lowest bid. This is because the programmer's type of service at the price named may be inferior to others. Just like me, I did not choose the lowest bid but I chose the one which kind of offered the specifications I wanted and understood where I wanted to go.

At Scriptlance, people rendering service are called programmers while people who post projects are called buyers. Scriptlance collects $5 from both once the winning bid is chosen. Just like eBay, at the completion of the transaction, the programmer and buyer gets to rate and review each other. Since neither of you wants a negative feedback or score, you may as well leave a favorable or neutral feedback.

I would say Scriptlance is great because it gives you choices and you can name your price. But be careful in your selection of bid. You don't want the quality of the project be compromised. I guess in everything, one should look for value. I don't believe in the concept of getting what you pay for. A cheaper price doesn't necessarily mean you are getting poor quality. You just have to know what you are paying for. So research is always important. Knowledge is power and it is very accessible because of the internet. Use what is available and be wise.

Holly Mann Blog Makeover

I've been viewing my blog, the Holly Mann Blog and I thought it really needs a makeover. Aside from a new title, it needs pictures and graphics. As I look at it, it is beginning to look boring to me.

In the coming week, I will try to change the make and feel of the Holly Mann Blog.

Now about my website: I wonder if the programmer at Scriptlance is already dead. He has not been responding to my email for the past two days. I have chosen the winning bid on the 4th of January hoping I can start the website at the beginning of the year. I'm beginning to think I made the wrong choice. Well, should I have not realized that a while back?

But I can't complain right now. I just have to look forward to better days. Patience, which I don't naturally possess, should matter now-- now that I'm so close to achieving my website. Actually, the hardest part for me is to reach deep in my pocket to finance all these. It was hard to let go of hard earned and hard saved money for somethinng uncertain. Having a profitable website is an untravelled territory for me. Gaining the courage to just go that way is quite an achievement on my part.

I'll give the Scriptlance programmer a chance and I will give myself space and another day.