I got an idea today that I think will really pay off, provided that I complete an insanely complex execution of the ideas and can beta test, then roll out the product in a short period of time.

I will reveal the idea in about a month, once I have more done.  But I got a great start today, when I found Caspio Bridge.  They have a very useful Web Database and Application tool.  I tested out their free tool today, and I am impressed by the relative simplicity of the product.  I am not an affiliate of theirs, just an impressed customer.

Anyway, I am very excited about my new idea, and look forward to implementation.

I will not be abandoning my earlier plan, just adding to it.

Cheers!

Update on Status of Business Development

I have concluded my AdWords campaign for Halloween rather unceremoniously.  I mistakenly deleted a key database in my hosting account and could not figure out how to restore the landing pages for the campaign.  After agonizing over this for an hour, I decided to abandon the site, and I completely deleted it.  Basically, my CTR and conversions stank, and I learned what I needed to learn.

I continue my PPC campaign for credit card related products, and I am currently attempting to optimize my keywords and find keywords that drive higher quality traffic.  I am completely engrossed in the SEOmoz Internet Marketing Handbook right now.  I highly recommend visiting and spending some time reading through all of the materials there if you have any interest or need to learn about SEO and Keywords.

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First, let me say that I am not about to reveal anything new.  I am not going to invent a perpetual motion generator that is fueled by carbon dioxide, produces unlimited energy and emits only a low hum, oxygen and water.  I don’t have the latest killer social app that will change the way you interact with the digital world. . .  No, my plan is relatively simple.  I am going to take a business idea that has been done, has proven success (and well-documented failures), and has low barriers to entry.

The Business Idea

I plan to start affiliate marketing.  Don’t roll your eyes (or click the back arrow yet).  I have a slightly different take on the tried and true methods, which I will outline later.  But to start with, I will utilize subdomains of this site as landing pages for PPC/PPA campaigns through the major search engines.  And I will craft ad campaigns that will begin as clones of what others are doing in this space.

I can hear how exciting all of this is to you–but calm down. . . I will succeed in this mundane, played-out business by optimizing my campaigns better and analyzing data better.  I will succeed where others fail because I will optimize, optimize and optimize until the damn thing produces as well or better than other marketers in my space!

If you think about this business model, there are no major financial barriers.  Any one can set up a site or a hundred.  It costs me less that $7 a month to host this site and $10 a year to keep this domain.  The real barrier is organic traffic.  I can pay per click, and hopefully make a nice margin on that.  But the long term money is earned by ranking high in the organic search engine results.  Can I get 1,000 organic clicks per month to my affiliate links?  5,000?  10,000?  Can I achieve an above average conversion rate?  I hope to show that it can be done, and to profit from it.

I will also produce good content on a blog, to attract visitors, and get a growing number of eyeballs on my domain.  This blog will essentially document my business journey, and I hope gain readership as I move forward.  But that is not the real meat of it.  It is only the documentation of the ups and downs of the marketing business.

I have other ideas that I will work on later that originated from the research I have done for this business.  But those will have to wait.  My focus and energy will be fully devoted to the affiliate marketing for now.

Limitations:  Time and Money

I have a day job.  I have a young son.  I have a life.  So, I cannot devote the time I would like to this right now.  That being said, I have made a schedule to spend two hours working on my business every day.  I will stick to this schedule, and I will continue to tweak the plan as I learn more.  I hope to cut through the crap and accomplish what is most important, because I do not have the time to do anything else.

I am also limited in my spending at this point.  I am willing to put about $1,000 into the business, on top of the money I have already spent forming my LLC, purchasing domains, hosting and other miscellaneous expenses.  So, my initial ad campaigns will be limited tests.  Because I have limited funds, I will have to make sure my ads and landing pages are converting before I can go big.

That is my plan.  Until I change it later. . .

Currrent Status

Site Specific LLC has been formed.  I have joined several affiliate programs and the Pepperjam Network.  And, as you can see, I am building out this site and the linked subdomains.  I will open the business checking account this week, to enable processing payments and deposits.  So, I am in the process of starting this thing up as fast as I can.

If all goes well, I will run my first ad campaign this weekend, and then tweak the campaign before increasing my budget.  Wish me luck!

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