03.05.08
Posted in Internet marketing at 10:32 pm by Ron
Here at Shed 18 we have subscribed to loads of marketing newsletters to see what we can learn from them, and we recommend that you do the same.
But after a time many of these “newsletters” turn out to be a waste of time, no more than just an advertising ploy. Some of these ‘Marketeers’ send us a ‘newsletter’ every day with no information other than a link to a website where the latest jaw-dropping offer is on sale.
This is usually an ebook, audio files or videos and the whole setup is routinely boring. The sales page is several feet long and has predictable features; the ebook has been written by someone who has made $2,000,000 in 3 weeks and it is supported by umpteen testimonials from the ‘rat pack’ of internet marketing.
Then inevitably follows the ‘bonuses’ a hodge-podge of bits and pieces all illustrated by a fancy box. Why do we expect a box with graphics on? dunno.
Some of these offers are so arrogant as to be laughable. Who buys this rubbish? And quite a lot of it is very expensive; maybe $1000 or even more.
So let’s get down to earth. How much would you pay in a bookshop for a book on marketing methods? This is the most you should pay for one of these offers. Just because somebody is doing very well from internet marketing doesn’t mean the same method will work for you.
There is such a lot of free stuff about Internet marketing and in our experience not much that’s new is revealed by these gurus. Even if they did it probably wouldn’t work for you. If you want some really good info on marketing there’s a lot of good stuff free to download in our Member’s Zone.
Subscribe to Shed 18 News, our informative newsletter published every two weeks
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02.08.08
Posted in website building, Internet marketing, website software at 4:52 pm by Ron
There’s a different world outside your comfort zone!
We all live our lives within limits that we have set up or that have been set up for us by accident or design. As long as we stay within these boundaries we feel confident and safe and it may take courage to step outside the boundary. But we should all extend our boundaries from time to time to make life more interesting.
Many years ago I took a job with a company with global interests as a Design Engineer. After a time my responsibilities grew and I was required to travel to the company’s headquarters in Switzerland to discuss design ideas. Having never left the UK before, I was apprehensive but I needn’t have worried. I survived and did all that was expected of me.
After that I was called upon time and again to undertake a variety of duties in various parts of the world, often at short notice. And not always confined to my specific field of design.
In other words I was often working outside my ‘comfort zone’ but the experience was rewarding. These particular boundaries of my comfort zone became, through repetition, the norm. In this case I really had no choice if I wanted to further my career; but it’s more difficult to break out of one’s comfort zone voluntarily.
We all have our comfort zones in the field of computing but there’s no real reason for it. Many people who surf regularly, post to forums and download music files tell me that building a website would be quite beyond them. People who already have a website tell me they’ll never understand HTML, or any other programming language, or CSS, or RSS or any other of the multitude of techniques, but it’s these that make building websites so exciting; the joy of breaking out of your comfort zone - and winning.
I’ve been messing about with websites as long as they’ve been around and I try anything that becomes available once I think it’s reasonably well developed. And if I have the time!
I believe that many folk are intimidated by names put on processes by Geeks. Terms such as MySQL, permissions, Cron jobs, CGI and many others can be intimidating but if tackled one at a time aren’t difficult to understand. If you’re unsure of a term just do a search for it on Google. Wikipedia is a great resource.
Using a process, say installing a script, may take some time for the first one. Then the second will be easier and after that it’s all downhill until you wonder what the problem was. The problem was fear; fear of failure. But we all have to make mistakes in order to succeed.
When tackling something new, like installing a script, look ahead to see any possible snags and keep copies of original files before modifying them, just in case you need to backtrack. Keep notes of progress and above all persevere.
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01.26.08
Posted in Uncategorized, website building, Internet marketing, website software at 5:05 pm by Ron
I am sorry that I have neglected Shed 18 Report for a long time but I hope to write more regularly in 2008.
Recapping, Shed 18 is dedicated to building good websites for all purposes, from family and hobby sites thro’ personal business websites, hence our slogan “Building Websites for Pleasure or Profit”
I have had a good career as an engineering design engineer but am now retired. Starting a new engineering design involved starting with a clean sheet of paper on the drawing board. The designs I produced were entirely mine, from first concepts to overseeing the manufacture on the workshop floor. Then delivery to the customer and making sure that the product performed as per specification and that the customer was entirely happy.
Website building is very similar and has filled the need for me to produce products that are appealing and fit for the purpose for which they were designed. They involve writing, photography, graphics, layout and other skills that I didn’t know I could learn, such as audio and video. It’s been, and still is, a fantastic journey with no fixed frontiers; there’s always something new to learn or try out.
And yet, for all this, building websites is a cheap hobby when compared to most others and doesn’t involve getting your hands dirty. In fact, spend a minute or so firing up the computer, spend as long as you like enjoying the work. When it’s time to stop, just tidy your files and shut down the computer. No gardening tools to clean and put away; no wood chips to sweep up and dispose of. Heaven!!
I don’t pretend to know everything there is to know about building websites, does anyone?, but I’m constantly trying new stuff and experimenting with programs. Shed 18 a sells a range of superb software for use in building or promoting websites. The software is easy to use and comes with support and a guarantee. There is new software added every month.
Shed 18 publishes a magazine every two weeks that will keep you in touch with us. Subscribe free to the magazine and get some free webmaster’s software. Subscribing to Shed 18 News also allows entry into the Member’s Zone, where there are more useful articles plus access to a load of reports and software free to download.
If you’re not a member, please go right now to this page to subscribe. You won’t regret it.
Ron King
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07.04.07
Posted in Uncategorized, Internet marketing at 10:49 am by Ron
Shed 18 Report 3-07-07
Internet Marketing Scams
Of late, the methods employed by some Internet marketers are throwing the business into disrepute and probably causing potential customers not to buy.
I bought a report from a well-known marketer a couple of weeks back priced at $5. I didn’t expect a lot for $5 but I got more than I expected. After paying through Paypal I was redirected back to the seller’s page that consisted solely of a form to join his affiliate system. There was no way to bypass the form.
The form asked for far more than I was prepared to reveal, such as my home address, email address, Paypal email address and telephone number. And it was arranged that every question be answered before proceeding. I was forced to disclose my email address in order to get the instructions to download the report but for the rest I typed rubbish.
There’s another procedure (I nearly wrote scam) that’s becoming more prevalent. You buy a product for, say, $10 and you’re directed to a page which is an OTO; a one-time-offer. You’re offered the rights to resell the product for a further $17 with the ‘close’ and told that it is the only chance you’ll have to accept this fantastic offer. Near the bottom of the page there’s usually a note, upside down in Chinese telling me I’m an idiot for not accepting the fabulous offer that I click to get grudging access to what I’ve paid for.
Why would I want ‘rights’ before I’ve read the report or tried the software? I want to see whether it’s something worthwhile before I put my reputation on the line.
Luckily there are still genuine people about who don’t resort to gimmicks to sell their stuff. Is it a coincidence that these same people aim to ‘over-deliver’. One such is Joe Robson; as far as I’m concerned he’s totally honest. If he says a deal will end on a certain date it does. If he says he’ll only sell 400 units, that’s when the offer closes.
At Shed 18 we’re finding our way. At present we’re acting as conventional shopkeepers. We sell a range of software that’s always available at the same price, any time, just like Microsoft, Macromedia etc. And our software is much easier to use but just as reliable.
We don’t resort to gimmicks. But we shall soon be selling low-priced but meaty technical reports. That is why we’re so concerned about these ‘cowboys’ who are losing the trust of the public and are jeopardizing our business. There are too many smart-asses in Marketing.
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05.12.07
Posted in Internet marketing at 1:34 pm by Ron
Internet marketing must be the most written-about and hyped-up subject on the internet. There are hundreds of self-styled gurus who will sell you information about how to market on the Internet - in many cases at greatly inflated prices. A few even know what they’re talking about. But think hard before you lay out hard-earned cash on get-rich-quick systems. They don’t exist. They’re cons!
At Shed 18 we’re dedicated to the art and skill of building websites, but necessarily we are involved with marketing, as we sell a range of software concerned with websites; building, maintaining and promoting. You may have the best website ever, but it’s not much use if nobody visits it.
So we subscribe to a number of marketing newsletters, from a cross-section of internet marketers, and have learned to pick out the good from the bad and downright misleading. Often the best is free. We’ve seldom paid cash for marketing information and when we’ve done so, with the promise that we can resell the item and make a fortune, we’ve not done so as we’ve thought the ’secret knowledge’ not worth passing on.
So what should you be looking for? General advice on internet marketing is the same as marketing in the High Street; an appealing shopfront (webpage), interesting stock, good prices, value for money, customer satisfaction, clever advertising, budgeting and so on. These principles have never changed and never date. Words written in 1900 are still true today. In fact some entrepreneurs have rehashed public domain books of that era. If you need this sort of information we suggest you try your local bookstore, online bookstore or your local library to get a hard copy.
What’s left that you need to know? Information specific to the Internet such as:-
*how and when to use autoresponders,
*how to accept payments online,
*the best ways to advertise,
*about affiliate marketing,
*trading in online actions.
things like those. But if you’re patient you’ll find excellent ebooks on these subjects that are given away free.
We would suggest that you ignore offers for general information about how to make a fortune by applying ’secret’ methods. These are always very appealing, have a sales page a mile long, loads of bonuses and are written by skilled copywriters who’s job is to fool you. You have to be aware that there are associations of marketers who sell each other’s work for a commission and provide recommendations on demand, even if they’ve never used the product. It’s a world of ‘caveat emptor’, buyer beware.
Many ingenious arguments are put forward as reasons why you have to buy the product now and many dubious methods are used to try to force a sale. One of the daftest in our opinion is the ‘dime sale’ where a product is put on the market and its price goes up, say, every hour by 20 cents. Another is the time limited sale, where a product is put on the market for, say, 5 days or until 200 have been sold. Yet another is the OTO, or One Time Offer, where you’re offered something once only.
These schemes, and many others, are intended to get you to buy NOW or you’ll lose the opportunity. Don’t be caught. Make your own considered decision as to whether the product is what you want at the right price. We’re always looking for good deals but mostly in software which is often good value. Modern hosting companies offer plenty of capacity. There’s no need to take offers down except as a marketing ploy. The same product will be recycled, renamed and offered again in a few weeks.
If you do decide to buy, consider the price. In our experience these gems of knowledge can cost many times that of a hard copy book sold in a bookshop. Some entrepreneurs offer massive packets of audio-video presentations bundled with ebooks and offers of free club membership at vastly inflated prices. I’ve seen them up to $1000.
That’s our rant about Internet marketing Gurus, so how do we at Shed 18 differ? For starters we have a range of reasonably priced, easy to use software that is on offer 24/7, always at the same price, with no time limit. Just like in a High Street Store. And we try to add a piece of software each month. Sometimes we may withdraw software or replace it with something else, and we reserve the right to alter the prices but that’s not likely. No gimmicks, no gimmicky bonuses; our software can stand on its own!
We try to give good information and provide free ebooks etc. as a thank you for those who subscribe to our newsletter. This is written fresh and published about every two weeks, unlike some that we subscribe to that appear in our inboxes 2 or 3 times a week, sometimes every day, even twice a day. We must unsubscribe from some that offer little value and are no more than advertising spam.
There are some excellent people dispensing marketing information and making a good living doing so. You can learn a lot from these people and they’re often generous with really useful information. Search for Internet Marketing on Google and sign up to a few free newsletters.
And don’t forget Shed 18 News. If you sign up for our newsletter you’ll get some useful free software plus free entry to the Member’s Zone. Why not do it now?
http://www.shed18.com/subscribe.html
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03.14.07
Posted in website building, Internet marketing, website software at 10:53 pm by Ron
In the last few days we’ve rehashed the site, consolidating the Premier software on to one page.
From the point of building a website we still believe that ProfitSitePro offers the best allround alternative, allowing almost instant creation of an outline website of three pages and an advanced WYSIWYG editor. Too many features to even begin to discuss here.
But our newest software is a little miracle. Starting with a few short articles in plain text this program, Article Site Power Kit makes complete website, including Adsense and Amazon ads if you want. It’s fantastic and has to be tried to believe it.
But just this month there’s an upgrade;
Article Site Power Kit PRO VERSION that adds new features. It works like this. You buy Article Site, then if you wish to upgrade, PRO VERSION is available at a low extra cost. The choice is yours.
Unlike many vendors, our sales pages aren’t full of exaggerated claims and false testimonials. They offer, as far as possible, a true indication of what the program does, with helpful notes. In fact we always recommend that, when you buy the product that you print out the sales page to ensure that you miss no features. There are often extra programs that might be overlooked. Also there are no hidden prices.
We’re always ready to support our products and there’s a cast-iron money-back guarantee.
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