My Internet
Career
Q: Tell us
about your Internet career.
ME: I’ve always been a
computer geek. Back in the 1980s I was already cruising the “online
world.” Back then the online world consisted of free dial-up independent
BBS’s (bulletin board systems) and a few paying online services, such as
Compuserve, Prodigy, Q-Link (now known as AOL), where you could access free
information, download software, and chat with others. My online experiences
during the 1980s helped me better understand the Internet in the 1990s and
helped me better plan out how I could use the Internet in my favor.
Just as the Internet was becoming more user-friendly in 1996, I was
already publishing a newsstand magazine. Who knew you could sell things online
and make money back then? Nobody knew. But I asked, “What if?” --
what if I could sell subscriptions online to my print magazine? In early 1997 I
launched my first web site selling subscriptions to my magazine. Basically, I
adapted my direct mail pieces and advertising copy to a web site format and
created an online subscription order form. Within weeks -- through online
networking and word-of-mouth -- I was generating subscription sales from my web
site. I was hooked. Selling online was so easy and cost-effective, compared to
mailing out direct mail packages or advertising in trade magazines to get
subscriptions. At that point I realized people did not have a fear of buying
online; in fact, people embraced the Internet as a more convenient way to buy
services and products online.
Even though I was generating plenty of
subscription orders online, my print magazine did not last. At the end of 1999
my magazine went bankrupt. I spent the next six months researching the Internet
and thinking of ways I could use the Internet to make money. That same year I
launched my first online webstore, MasterFreelancer.com, an adaptation of my
mail-order business. Within three months I was generating orders daily. My
positive experience with selling online and my desire to publish information
helped me launch my next online venture: selling digital content online.
In 1999 I launched Freelancing4Money, a web site offering weekly
content to help freelance writers locate work and master their creative
careers. At that time I was unsure if people would pay to receive my content
online. No one else was doing it. Why should I? I charged my visitors a small
subscription fee to receive my content. Within weeks, I was turning visitors
into paying subscribers. This abolished another popular Internet myth: people
won’t pay for content online. People will pay for content online,
especially if they can receive the content faster and cheaper. I published this
weekly newsletter for three years and made a truckload of money. I ended this
online business because the weekly frequency started taking away precious time
from other projects I wanted to do. (Freelancing4Money.com no longer exists; if
you go to the website you will find one of those cheap, sponsored-link pages).
I also operated a small Internet hosting company, KingCommerce.com in
2001, which I later sold to a foreign mail-order company for a decent amount of
money. The company that purchased KingCommerce.com is no longer around.
Q: How many websites do you operate?
ME: I
operate about 20 different websites. Some of my other websites include:
FreelanceWriting.com, a website to help freelance writers master the
business and creative aspects of their writing careers.
BookCatcher.com, a website to help authors publish and promote their
books.
WritingCareer.com, a website to help writers launch a successful
writing career.
LousyWriter.com, a website to help writers and
non-writers write better.
FreelancePortfolios.com, a website that lets
freelancers build a portfolio of their services and
samples.
MyBylineMedia.com, which is my company’s website where you
can see my business-related websites.
Q: How do you make your money
on the Internet?
ME: I’ve been making money online
selling my own products, and earning money with affiliate ads and affiliate
products.
Q: Is it easy to do?
ME: Yes, and no.
It’s easy to create an ecommerce-enabled or affiliate website to sell a
product or products. It is difficult to drive buyers to your website each day
without spending tons of money. I rarely use AdSense, except on occasion. I
focus on natural search engine marketing; that is, writing, marketing and
listing my keyword-enriched content in search engines so my products, URLs, and
websites rank higher in search results. I also still advertise in trade
magazines, such as Writer’s Digest and The Writer magazines.
Q:
How much money do you earn?
ME: I don’t like getting
specific about how much I earn. My answer is: plenty.
Q: How has the
Internet changed since you launched your first webstore?
ME:
When I built my first webstore, MasterFreelancer.com in 1997, there was not
much competition. I made a fortune in the first two years. Even when the
“.com” era imploded, I was still making a lot of money with this one
webstore. Since then, things have changed -- a lot. The most noticeable
difference is the competition. Today competition is very fierce, both in
selling products and ranking higher in search engines.
Q: How do you
stay a step ahead of the competition?
ME: I specialize in a
niche. I sell unique products. I develop my own products. I create individual
websites with a narrow focus and unique content. You need to work hard and have
a lot of patience to see results. There is a lot you can do to beat your
competition.
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