How to generate passive income from a website: Part 1

I’ve been developing websites utilizing Flash, PHP, .asp, MySQL and other important technology and software for the last 8 years. I got into the affiliate marketing game in July of 2008. For the past 6 1/2 months, I’ve been learning a great deal about affiliate marketing, blogs, social media, seo and a host of other technologies and theories.

I am beginning a series of posts now that will walk through my process for establishing a website that earns me money passively. This simply means that people can be visiting the website and clicking links while I am doing other things and I earn a commission while they do that.

When I started, this seemed like a foolproof, easy way to make money. I believe that many people start out thinking they can easily earn thousands of dollars doing this with little effort. I’m here to tell you 1) It’s not easy, and 2) you can earn money if you are diligent and you focus.

Ahhhh, focus.

That word pops up again. Focus is essential in this business. I learned the hard way and probably cost myself thousands of dollars during my learning process.

I’m going to take you through the process I have developed for creating a website that will get a great amount of organic search traffic and will earn passive money.

I will be featuring one of my websites, http://GetYourCellPhones.com. In the beginning(July 08) I got crazy and made a bunch of different sites and this was one of them. If I had focused soley on this site, I would have been much better off. Please read my previous post about focus to understand what I mean.

This will be a work-in-progress as I am nowhere near done with the site. In the end, you’ll know EXACTLY how to create the same kind of product and earn passive income.

I am going to cover the following topics extensively through blog posts and video:

1. How to choose a niche
2. Researching your niche
3. Choosing a domain name and hosting
4. Building your website
5. Choosing and signing up for affiliate programs
6. Targeting certain keyphrases for great traffic
7. Making posts to your website
8. How to utilize social media
9. How to maintain your site
10. How to analyze your traffic for better results

Please sign up for my blog post updates via my feed. Feel free to leave comments or questions below.

This series of tutorials will teach you to be a better marketer, search engine optimizer, social media maven, web developer and all around good person.

The Absolute Power of Focus

My Focus Growing Up
The power of one.

My dad had a plan for me before I was born. He was going to turn me into the next great left-handed pitcher. At a very young age when I began reaching for stuff, my dad would purposefully hold down my right hand and force me to grab with my left hand. The focusing had begun! I joined the ranks of the other 10% of the world at that point.

At a certain point in my childhood, my dad gave me a ball and glove. He was completely devoted to working with me and had shown me everything he knew about pitching a baseball. We practiced day after day, even in the off season.

It turned out that I was the most feared and best pitcher in my town. I look back and I thank my dad for the focus that he had. He didn’t have me running around to every single sport that popped up. I know that some of you may be thinking it was a cruel thing that my dad did, but I can say without a doubt that I was completely happy and didn’t want it any other way as a child.

Magnify Your Focus
How focus can magnify what you are doing.

Lets take a look at what I’m talking about with some simple math.

Energy + Focus = Magnification
Energy - Focus = Dissipation

My dad focused his energy on me and one sport which resulted in a magnification of my talent.

I chose magnification because it goes along with my illustration. You can focus the energy of the sun and magnify the intensity of the energy. I know that some of you might say magnification was the wrong word to use because it means to make something appear bigger than it really is.

Now, in the second equation, we take away focus. This leaves you with dissipation. I like this word a lot. Here are a couple of definitions:

1. a process in which energy is used or lost without accomplishing useful work, as friction causing loss of mechanical energy.
2. mental distraction; amusement; diversion.

The first one defines exactly the point I am trying to make. When you use energy in a way that you shouldn’t, the potential useful work accomplishment goes away.

Dissect the Distractions
So much on my mind. So little getting done.

Think about the times when you have a million things on your mind. Doesn’t it feel like you are wasting time and energy and getting absolutely nothing done? Wouldn’t it be nice to dissect the distractions in your life so you can focus on the main task at hand? Think of a distraction as a task. More than likely, this distraction in your mind is something that needs to be done. It could be as easy as responding to an email or as complex as beginning a project.

Start by making a list of everything on your mind. Think of any distracting thought that takes your focus away.

Distraction Pyramid
Urgency + Time = Distraction Factor.

Now, categorize your distractions by giving them an importance factor. Make a column next to my list of distractions for importance. Give your distraction a an urgency factor from 1 to 5. 1 will constitute something critically important and conversely, a 5 will signify something of least importance. Now, make a new column that represents a time factor. We will categorize these distractions similarly to the urgency factor. Think of a 1 as a 10 minute block of time. If you can remove your distraction in 10 minutes or less, write down a 1 for your time factor.

Now, add up the numbers in a forth column next to the other three. Congratulations! You have now built yourself a distraction pyramid. You are probably wondering what good this does you.

It’s quite simple.

Begin by eliminating the distractions with the lowest sum. This allows you to kill distractions that you perceive as urgent in a quick way.

Chances are, the more urgent the distraction in your mind, the more often you think about it.

Here’s a look at part of my distraction pyramid.

I realize that some tasks/distractions have to be done or can’t be done at a certain time. That’s ok. By making this distraction pyramid, you get the thoughts out of your mind and on paper.

You can now see how quickly you can eliminate simple distractions that can zap your energy and cut into your focus.

Baby Steps vs. Giant Leaps
Stagnating or Advancing?

I’ve recently been thinking a great deal about focus. I’m an innovator. I’m constantly thinking of new ideas. I start many projects and never finish them. I start many books and never finish them.

Distractions are the bane of my existence.

I waste a ton of energy on almost. I almost finish projects. I almost finish books. There isn’t much power in an unfinished project.

Almost does not pay the bills.

Are you taking baby steps with what you want to achieve or are you taking giant leaps? When you can harness the power of focusing on your task, you can get a great deal done and make much more progress.

Focus = Quality
Lack of focus = mediocrity

Wouldn’t you agree that the more attention to detail you give and the more focus you can provide on a project or whatever it is you are doing will yield a higher quality end result? When you completely focus on one thing, you can accomplish so much more. I’m not trying to tell you to let all other areas of your life fall by the wayside. I want you to realize that focusing your attention and efforts one project, one task or one goal at a time will increase the quality of whatever it is you are doing.

It Starts With a Plan
WHAT will you focus your energy on?

Determine what exactly you want to focus your energy on. In my case, I have started many website projects and have not finished any of them. My plan is to focus all of my time and energy on THIS website. I want to establish my personal blog and personal brand. With so many other projects in the works, it’s nearly impossible to establish anything!

Once you determine what you will focus on and you have dissected your distractions to a point that you have a clear head, you need to set attainable goals that will help you measure your success while focusing. I want to increase visits to my website to 1000 per day by June of 2009. This is a clearly defined goal that I see as easily attainable if I am focusing on doing it.

Another part of my plan will include research. I will allot time in my schedule to extensively research anything that will positively affect my plan of focus. In my case, I plan to research search engine optimization, blog optimization and article marketing.

Now, GO FOCUS!

I hope I’ve offered you encouragement and incite on how to get focused in your life.

There truly is absolute power in focus!

Google, Apple, and the undeniable future of mobile technology

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that communication is becoming more instantaneous every day. It’s fascinating to think that virtually anything that can be done from a desktop or laptop computer, can be done from a mobile phone.

So, where do we go from here?

What does the future of mobile technology look like? I personally think that a fierce competition between Google and Apple will reveal the answer to that question very soon.

What does the future of mobile technology look like to me?

This is what I envision.
I invite anyone from Google or Apple to apply my thoughts and make it so.

The user of this futuristic phone will press a button on the side and lunar vehicle-like legs eject from the body of the device. The device sits on a surface and the while a front and rear projector extend from the front and back of the phone. The rear projector fires and displays an HD, 3D screen 12 inches from the device in mid air. The front projector displays a keyboard and mouse pad in front of the device on the same service that the device is sitting on.

This is the future of mobile technology.

This device that sits on your side, in your pocket, in your purse will be your life. Desktop and laptop computers will be obsolete. You will be connected to everything, everywhere you go.

All data will be stored externally from your device. Your life will happen on this device.

I believe all business, personal work, school work will happen here. Paper will be obsolete. All mail will be delivered electronically to your device. If you do not have this device, you will not be able to function in society.

Everywhere you go, you will see people “connecting” in this way. Your children will have their own device. There will be no more paper, no more writing. Assignments will be turned in electronically. I would venture to say that schools will become obsolete and all teaching will be delivered via the device. Libraries will be the same way. Books will go away. You will access anything and everything from this device.

Think about it. Our world is pushing its way to this point. It’s a grim and scary, but it’s reality. Look at all of the retail stores that are closing.

Is it the economy? Partially.

Is it because people are changing how they shop? Mostly.

I know I’ve gotten off topic a bit, but this is where everything is headed.

Our communication will happen from a single device that is attached to us.

In the early 90’s, seeing a computer in any house or establishment you went to wasn’t exactly common. Now, it’s hard to find a house or establishment without one. Now, it’s uncommon to find someone without a cell phone. Everywhere you look people are talking, texting or checking email on their cell phones. Most kids are starting to feel alienated now without one.

Watch closely to what happens in 2009.

Way to go Nintendo

I can still remember the Christmas of ‘86 as vividly as any memory.

As a child, that was my most anticipated Christmas. This was the year I received a Nintendo Entertainment System. My life changed that Christmas. I was introduced to a whole new world of interactivity and fun.

To this day, I can replay just about every level of Metroid and Super Mario Brothers in my head.

Now, lets fast-forward to 2008.

This was probably the most anticipated Christmas for my kids. Every one of them had put a Nintendo DS on their lists. We bought two of them and my oldest son was given one by his best friend. So, we have 3 Nintendo DS machines and it’s a total blast.

US $100.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 15:18:49 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $120.99 (3 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 15:35:32 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $152.50 (17 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 15:37:14 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $126.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 15:48:08 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $117.50 (12 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 15:50:48 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $103.51 (14 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 17:00:25 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $100.00 (14 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 17:00:51 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $104.50 (4 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 17:57:01 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $102.50 (16 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 18:00:54 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $120.00 (29 Bids) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 19:58:39 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

With a Nintendo DS, you can “Pictochat” between each machine as long as you are no more than 50-60 feet apart. You are able to draw little pictures or type messages back and forth.

Did you know that DS stands for ‘Dual Screen’? The coolest thing about this little system is the two screens. The screens sense touch and allow you to write, drag, push, swipe, press and do just about any other thing interactively with the system. You can also blow or talk into the a microphone.

The Nintendo DS is the coolest little hand held game system I have ever seen!

Way to go Nintendo!

Bring it 2009

I’m looking forward to 2009.

I think it will be an exciting year in the realm of social media. I believe that people will be more connected to each other than ever through mobile technology. I predict more of a merge between mobile web browsing and social media applications.