If there were any piece of advice I would offer to anyone starting a new venture in life, it would be this: court failure.

Failure is a dirty word in our culture. It has a potent negative connotation that sends chills up many a spine, mostly the spines of people who don’t do much.

That’s not a criticism but an observation. You cannot succeed without failures and you can’t succeed without doing a lot of work. So if you’re doing a lot of work, you’re failing more than infrequently.

Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
-Mark Twain

How to Court Failure

Every day that you get up and work toward a goal in a new arena, you are courting failure. You’re inviting problems for which you don’t yet have solutions, attempting tasks for which you don’t yet have skills, and often planning a future that you don’t yet know how you’ll pay for. You’ll make mistakes in most every category.

I started a new business this year. I literally can’t count all the failures I’ve experienced in less than six months. But I’m still having fun so I hardly notice them.

That’s not entirely true. Sometimes they hurt and made me kick myself. But I am comforted by the thought that when this happens, it’s because I’m courting failure, a necessary action on the route to … to where exactly?

Another Dirty Word

I know you may be irritated with me for goin’ all Zen on ya, but it is a fact that we spend so much time trying to categorize the actions of our lives into successes and failures that we miss a lot of life as it passes by every day.

Success is not the opposite of failure; it’s merely the other end of the see-saw. When we persist in labeling success as failure’s opposite, our focus becomes skewed and we live with an anxiety that saps the creative energy required to move forward.

We don’t often stop to question where our definitions of success and failure come from. I’m not talking about the etymological origins but the sociological origins. Who imposes these ideas of success and failure upon us? No one, really. We willingly put them on like a hand-me-down coat and wear them like the king’s robes.

Living by Choice

While sitting on my front steps after a run this morning, I caught myself ruminating somewhat anxiously about the future of my business. As I looked up at the early-morning spring sun glowing through verdant, newly-leafed trees, I suddenly decided, “I am going to live this day.”

I wanted to simply experience the day in whatever form it arrived, watch how it interleaved itself with my life and my plans (or interrupted them), and just live. I wanted to acknowledge the uncertainty of tomorrow and the day after, knowing that it would be a sin to allow that uncertainty to mar today.

I was partly … “successful.” On and off through the day, I prodded myself to come back to this thought, to this living in the day. Sometimes it worked and sometimes the rush of traffic beside me or the question of a stranger pulled me back into the swirl of ruminating about the future. But in those moments, I was successfully courting failure as well.

The degree with which we can live without anxiety about what a particular moment or event in life means is the measure of how much we actually live. One way to reduce the anxiety about whether or not we’re successful is to be conscious of courting failure. When we truly see the value in failure, both success and failure assume equal weight, neither to be fully trusted nor feared nor expected to fill our every day. Neither is an end in itself.

Tomorrow, when you get up, try for just one day to court failure.

Lisa’s Comments: I absolutely love this article because it not only applies to our websites, but our day to day lives.  Your perspective and attitude make all the difference.

If you interview every successful Internet marketer, I bet they will have stories of failure.  I have plenty.  Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  It’s not how many times you fail, but what you do with the lessons that blossom from those failures.

Brian V. Hunt spent more than a decade as a senior writer at Microsoft. He’s an SEO copywriter, performs search engine optimization, is a senior copywriter, and writes sell sheets for clients at B2B corporations and commercial web sites. Get more tips from him on writing for the web and SEO at http://brianvhunt.com.

I was inspired to write this post because I just finished browsing some YouTube videos.  Many of the channels use autoplay (the video starts automatically.)

I always advise people to be careful with autoplay on YouTube and with music on their sites because both can be annoying.

Not everyone’s watching from the comfort of home.

Right or wrong, many people surf the Internet at work, and having autoplay on your site is a great way to lose a visitor.

When I had a 9 to 5, there were many times I would go to a site (shame on me, I know) and the music would start automatically.  I’d have to quickly close the browser or lunge for my speaker controls to turn the volume down.

(C’mon, you know this has happened to you at least once! )

When using autoplay, it’s important to consider that many people are not watching your videos or viewing your site in private.

If you have a YouTube channel, I would highly recommend turning off Autoplay. (It’s located under “Videos and Playlists” in your channel options.)

Trust me, I did an unofficial Twitter survey and the results were overwhelmingly in favor of NO AUTOPLAY. In fact, everyone that responded said they hated it.

Musical Etiquette

I was on a blog once and the author kept referring me to other sites, and the sites opened in the same window.  So every time I went back to his site, the music started again.  Ugh!

I thought I was going to slit my wrist!   I had to hunt for the volume controls because they inconveniently placed it at the bottom of the page.

I’ve never understood that logic. Forcing people to listen to your tunes is not going to make them enjoy your music or site more.  If anything, it may aggravate them and cause them to leave.  Just because you are grooving to your tunes, don’t assume everyone else will.

In most cases, you should give people a choice between whether to listen to music or not.  However, if you must use autoplay, only load the song on the first page view, and make it easy to turn the audio off.  Don’t hide the volume controls!

Music can be a great addition to a website, I just think it should be used sparingly and appropriately.

What do you think of sites that play music and/or have autoplay media?

Forgive me, but I had to interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast to say two simple words…

Thank you.

I think about the money I’ve made over the years and the material “stuff” I’ve been able to buy.

That’s all fine and dandy, but it’s really nothing compared to the enjoyment of helping others and getting e-mails from you about your growth and progress.

For some reason, I’ve received a lot more “good news” e-mails in the past week.   Normally my inbox is flooded with problems and questions after more questions.   Of course, those were there too, but there were a lot more “thank you’s” and good progress reports.

Those kinds of e-mails make my day!

They keep me going and remind me why I’m out here.  Sure, my initial motivation was to make money online, but I quickly learned that the real fulfillment comes in seeing how my work impacts you.

These e-mails are also a nice break from the norm.  Answering e-mail is often a real chore for me.   Some days I dread it.  Most e-mails are requests for extensive one-on-one help (which I just can’t do much anymore).

Just yesterday someone asked me to e-mail Google to get their banned AdSense account reactivated. (Are you serious?)

Then there’s the e-mails from people who flat out ask for money or want me to build their site for them (with no mention of payment).

So yes, e-mail is probably my least favorite task of the day.  Nevertheless, I’ve learned that I just can’t answer them all. I do what I can and quickly delete the ones from people looking to get something for nothing.

However, that’s such a small piece of this experience, and I think that’s what makes the positive e-mails even more special.   They also remind me of something I’m always preaching about…

There has to be something bigger than money to motivate you out here.  Something else has to keep you going.  For me, it’s teaching, seeing people learn, and discovering my site’s impact.  I don’t know what that is for you, but it’s something you have to find.

I’ve said it 100 times, but I’ll say it again.  The money is always a byproduct of what you enjoy.  So find a way to make this fun, or it will become another 9 to 5.

OK, I’ll stop with the preaching and mushy stuff for now. I just wanted to say thank you.  You are the reason I continue to do what I do and I appreciate all your support.

A while back Lisa posted about her experience selling advertising through the OIOpublisher marketplace.

I am also using OIOpublisher, but the marketplace hasn’t been a source of ad sales for my site, torontoshopoholic.com.

Not all of us have a recognizable brand like Lisa or a mature website.

Instead, I’ve had to think of other ways to attract advertisers.  So here are my top 5 ways to attract advertisers or sponsors to your website and blog.

1. ASK – When I was researching how to attract advertisers I came across a problogger video.  At first glance, it wasn’t very profound, but it did motivate me to start asking.

When businesses contact me, I ask if they would like to see my media kit.  I ask stores when I go out to do reviews.  And every once in a while I just put it out there on Twitter.

I just keep asking. And if someone says “no”, I don’t get offended because they may support my website in some other way like providing a link or a giveaway. I simply move on and ask someone else.

2. ASK – I put ask on the list twice because not only do you have to put yourself out there representing your website and ASK advertisers to support your site, but you also have to target who you ask. It goes without saying that you should ask people who are relevant to your niche.

Also, if your website is young, start out with smaller businesses first. If you have priced accordingly there will be plenty who will be interested.

You can jump right in and try to attract national brands, but it’s probably prudent to wait until you have higher traffic levels and some ad selling experience under your belt.

3. Price – Price setting is very important and should be relative to your traffic levels. Lisa already posted a great article on this so I won’t go into great detail.

However, I will say this.  My ads are relatively inexpensive compared to the competition, but I feel they are appropriate given my traffic levels.  This has helped attract so many small businesses to my site.

As your traffic grows, feel free to increase your rates. Some advertisers may pull their ads, but many will stick around if you are delivering great promotion for their brand, traffic and conversions.

4. Over deliver – From the moment you deal with someone who is a potential sponsor, over deliver in every way. Have a professional media kit and rate sheet that shows your website is more than a hobby.

If they ask questions, provide them with all the information they need. Someone may not advertise today, but if you over deliver, they may convert tomorrow.

Be careful, however, and recognize those who are just using you for free advice or promotion and those who will be potential advertisers. You want to concentrate your efforts on those who are genuinely interested in your site.

5. Excellent Content – Great content goes without saying when building a website. You build content that will appease the search engines, directories and of course your visitors.

But let’s look at it from a different angle. Your content not only has to win over your visitors, but also your advertisers.

I’ve had a number of supporters tell me how much they love my website concept and content. The content attracted them to torontoshopoholic.com, and eventually converted several of them into sponsors!

Lisa’s Comments: Great points, Jane! I love that you mentioned going OFFLINE.  Even though this strategy may not be ideal for every kind of site, too many people are missing opportunities right in their own backyards.  It’s amazing what can happen if you just get out and talk to people!

You’ve also proven that it’s possible to find advertisers/sponsors when you have lower traffic levels.  The key is to be upfront about your traffic, make sure your prices reflect your traffic levels, and target smaller businesses.  You’ve done just that!

Larger, more established businesses may not be interested in advertising on sites with low traffic levels, but they may be a perfect fit for start-up businesses looking for exposure.

Also, great job on the media kit.  It’s short, sweet, to-the-point and provides information advertisers want.

I am officially accepting guest posts on the 2 Create a Website blog!

[insert applause here]

I receive quite a few guest post submissions.  Unfortunately over 90% of them are either poorly written, offer nothing original or the content is not very relevant to my audience.

The quality has been very disappointing.  So I decided to create a submission guidelines page. (Yes, I know this is long overdue.)

You can also upload your article in either a .TXT or .HTML format instead of trying to format your article in the submission form’s text box.

What I’m Looking For

In a word…

Originality.

I have received so many submissions over the years that speak very generally about the importance of writing good content, SEO, etc.

There are many, many articles written about this subject on Internet marketing blogs, and unfortunately many of them are too generic and say the same things.

I am looking for articles that offer fresh perspectives on marketing, design, blogging, promotion and more.

What specific strategies are you using that work for you?  Give examples.  What were the results?  People love to see working examples and success you can prove with your own results.

For example, how have you used your FaceBook fan page to drive traffic and business to your site?  What FB applications have you used to improve productivity and how are you using them?

The more original, helpful and revealing your article is, the greater the chance it will be featured here.

So if you are interested in submitting an article for consideration, please read the guidelines and submit your original article here.

Deciding how much to charge for an ad spot on your site can be very tricky!

Here are some tips you can use to determine a fair price for your advertisers…

Can’t view the video?  Click here to watch.

Some people just start out with the right attitude.

When it comes to making money online, they don’t complain about how difficult the journey is.  They just go for it.

They are resourceful people who take the information you give them and run with it.

They have this adventurous, go-getter mentality and aren’t afraid of failure.

They also understand the importance of enjoying the ride from the very beginning.

These people understand this is a process and find joy in more than getting that first AdSense check.

Know of anyone like this?  I do.  I got an e-mail from her a couple of weeks ago. Her name is Rachel and her site is GreenLeafeSimon.com.

I have her permission to post her e-mail on my blog, so I want to share it with you. Pay attention to the bold text. I did that for emphasis.

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Hello Lisa,

No need to answer this email; this is just to say thank you.

Awhile ago, my sister lost her job and I got the bright idea to help her learn how to make money online. She wasn’t interested and eventually got another job, but I got hooked!

I tried a few things and quickly learned most things on the net are scams. In the course of things however, I came across your website, 2Create A Website and I fell in love with the idea of having my own website. But about what? I love to write and all my life have wanted to be an author, so I got the idea to write serial stories and started a blog.

Then the idea grew and mushroomed as I found that although blogging was a lot of fun, the scope is limited. I took your sage advice and learned html and then css – and am I ever glad I did! I’ve never had so much fun in my life.

Designing, writing and marketing a website is better than any video game I’ve ever played (and I’ve played a lot of ‘em) and Lisa, I want to thank you for all the help, tips and advice you’ve provided for people like me.

From Colour Hex-code Generators to Server Side Includes (I actually cried when I finally made this work) and all the Tutorials and Videos in between, Thank you! I don’t think I could have done it without you. Many, many thanks!

Rachel
GreenLeafeSimon.com

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As a person who receives hundreds of e-mails per week with complaints and problems about either building a website or making money online, I really treasure e-mails like this.

Notice the bold phrases in the e-mail above.  See a pattern?  They all involve some kind of enjoyment or excitement.

Rachel reminds me of myself when I started 12 years ago.  I wasn’t making much money then, but there was something about the feeling of accomplishment and learning new things that was very exciting!  I always had that within me no matter how much I was earning.

I get asked about my “secret to success” all the time.  Some people think it’s my writing style.  Others believe it’s my videos.  I’ve also heard things like, She just chose the right niche, She had great timing, and my favorite…

She’s just lucky.

I actually think it’s a combination of several reasons, but one thing people neglect to mention is my sheer desire and passion for what I do.  In fact, I believe that is the #1 reason I have done so well.

This “Internet Marketing stuff” isn’t for everyone and you can’t make yourself love it just because you want to make money.   If you can’t find the joy, you may not be able to find the money.

So thank you, Rachel.  Your enthusiasm is refreshing and I have a feeling you will go far out here.

Remember folks, success starts with passion and the right attitude — not just the desire to make money.

As many of you know, I’ve been suffering from a typing injury for nearly 4 months.

First, I was misdiagnosed with tendinitis.  Then I was misdiagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.

After a visit to an orthopedic surgeon, (the type of doctor I should have gone to in the first place), my X-rays came back negative.  I had no joint or nerve damage.  It was only inflammation.

I was relieved I didn’t have carpal tunnel syndrome, but the inflammation diagnosis was just as frustrating because there is no “one treatment fits all” when it comes to curing it.

Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) come in so many different forms and are caused by so many different things (wrong keyboard height/angle, fatigue, wrong size mouse, poor posture and other ergonomic conditions.)

The symptoms also vary from person to person.  Even though many of my ailments matched those who have carpal tunnel or tendinitis, the X-rays told a different story.

In fact, most people who think they have carpal tunnel, usually don’t.  It’s typically some sort of RSI.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is it can be just as debilitating and treatment is not as straightforward.

Recovery Can Take Months

When I blogged about this back in November, I thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I had no idea I was in for 3 more months of discomfort.

Nevertheless, I’m about 90% healed (still having occasional stiffness from time to time) and will make a full recovery.  Yippee!!

How I am Healing

1) Rest

This is probably the biggest reason I am nearly pain free.  If you start having any kind of discomfort from using the computer, take a break.  Also, don’t try to push through the pain.

That was my biggest mistake.  When I started feeling hand and arm discomfort, I kept working, thinking it would get better.  Had I rested more with the first sign of pain, it probably wouldn’t have taken nearly as long to heal.

It felt really weird to NOT spend so much time on the computer.  I felt I was missing out on something, but I eventually got used to it.  My body was exhausted and I didn’t even realize how much until I gave myself more rest.  Funny how that happens.

2) Stretching

Even if you aren’t in pain, you should stretch before you start computing — especially if you spend 20 hours or more per week on a computer.  I presume nearly everyone reading this post falls into this category.  Stretching not only helps heal RSI-related injuries, it can prevent them.

I printed the guide from this site and taped it to my desk.  This reminds me to stretch before I begin working.

3) Software

Two software programs are helping me get through this:

Dragon Naturally Speaking

This is speech recognition software that really took the load off my arms.  I answer a LOT of e-mails on a daily basis so this was a very useful tool to have.

It’s pretty accurate, and the more you use it, the better it gets as it adapts to your voice and pronunciations.  You can also teach the software new words, which is very helpful with all the Web lingo and acronyms.

You can also program it to type out large blocks of text by saying a word or phrase.  This sort of works like canned responses, but they are voice activated instead of using the mouse/keyboard to initiate it.

For example, if I want to type the steps to setting up a WordPress blog, all I have to do is say “WordPress instructions” and the program types everything I stored under that phrase.

RSI Warrior

This is another cool program that reminds you to stretch every X minutes and provides several exercises with a visual you can follow.

It also has an “auto click” feature so you don’t have to click the mouse.  All you do is hover for a predetermined amount of time and the software will click for you.

The auto click feature was my best friend for three months.  My forearm muscles were so taxed from all the mousing and typing that clicking the mouse and using a trackpad was painful.

There are some free auto click programs out there.  I tried to download a few but had trouble with installation, so I decided to go with RSI Warrior instead.

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I don’t want you to ever experience what I’ve gone through in the past 4 months.  And most of this could have been prevented had I stretched regularly, taken more breaks and not ignored the early signs (stiffness and soreness in my fingers/hands and arms).

Also, if you’re having symptoms that don’t go away, see an orthopedic surgeon or a doctor who specializes in occupational injuries.  Many general practitioners aren’t as educated on computer-related injuries, so they may be quick to diagnose you with the wrong disease.

Remember, not every wrist or hand injury is carpal tunnel syndrome.

And finally, listen to your body.  If something hurts, it’s trying to send you a message.  Give yourself a break.  I’m sure you’ll agree that spending fewer hours at your computer is worth preserving the health of your body in the long run.

Have you recovered from any computer related injuries?  Feel free to share what you’ve learned below!

You’ve had your blog for a few months now.  You’ve chosen a topic you love and have great information.  But you have very little traffic and no sales.

So what’s wrong?

Often times it’s nothing but your impatience and lack of consistency.

A few months is hardly enough time to give a new business.  So if you went into this with unrealistic expectations, you will be disappointed.

I get an amazing number of emails from people who claim “affiliate marketing doesn’t work.”  And when I ask them how long they’ve been at it, the answer is often two months or less.

Are you kidding me?

It took me months before any worthwhile money started to roll in. And even when my income didn’t equate to the hours I was spending online, I never stopped writing and strategizing.

If you haven’t generated a steady stream of traffic yet, one thing you have to work on is building momentum with consistency.

If you’re a new blogger, you need to establish a rhythm.  Posting once a month is probably not going to cut it.  This is a business so you must commit to it and take it seriously.

There are so many blogs and websites out there with great potential, but they’ve been abandoned by impatient owners looking for too much too soon.

I know it’s frustrating when you feel no one is reading your content.  But if you have a solid concept and believe in your site, you will be amazed at what will happen if you just stick with it and produce solid content on a consistent basis.

Set goals for content and video production. Make your presence known. It’s time for you to get serious. Let’s make 2010 a great one!