Categories
Website How To's

The Darryl Strawberry Drop-Out on the Apprentice

HEADS UP: This post doesn’t necessarily follow anything I generally talk about at Moller Marketing; however, it shows that running a business takes work and effort, characteristics that it appears Darryl Strawberry doesn’t have anymore – he quit the Apprentice because he was tired.

As many of you know, I’ve been an avid New York Yankee fan since I was born (and I’m from Idaho for crying out loud).

I’ve followed the Yanks through the thick and thin.

But what happened tonight on The Apprentice really let me down for a former New York Yankee super star.

Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962) is a former American baseball player who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off of it. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the game, known for his prodigious home runs and his intimidating presence in the batter’s box with his 6-foot-6 frame and his long, looping swing that elicited comparisons to Ted Williams.[1] During his 17-year career, he helped lead the New York Mets to a World Series championship in 1986 and the New York Yankees to three World Series championships in 1996, 1998 and 1999. (bold added for emphasis) Wikipedia

What Darryl Strawberry did tonight was far from an “intimidating presence”. Controversial isn’t even a great description.

What Darryl Strawberry did for his charity of Autism and for his reputation as a baseball player and person overall was flat out GUTLESS!

It’s kind of funny, this blog actually started back in December of 2006. I’d just watched the Apprentice and saw Michelle Sorro QUIT before she got fired by Mr. Trump.

I wrote a post titled “Michelle Sorro, The Apprentice Quiter” which got me over 1,000 unique visitors in one day as a brand new blog.

This episode tonight, in my opinion, was even WORSE.

Michelle Sorro was and really still is a no-body.

Darryl Strawberry, on the other hand, is was a baseball icon, someone that people looked up to.

Now, he’ll have an asteric next to his name like other baseball players of his era.

Darryl, if you read this, I send you my condolences for making a crucial “error in the World Series” of an autistic persons life.

Categories
Digital Presence & Marketing Strategy

Does Increased Traffic Improve SEO Rankings?

All I have to do is just start a website and “Viola” – the traffic will just appear.

I’ve heard, if I get lots of traffic, Google will take note of that and move me up the charts.

I’m thinking about buying a list so I can get the big traffic and be ranked high in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, can be a big myth to many people, especially those that believe some of these statements above.

What is the right answer then?

And how do you find the truth?

First recommendation would be to hire a Utah SEO consultant 🙂

If you’re not ready for that yet, try it out on your own for a while, and then hire an SEO consultant to fix what you may have messed up.

Before you mess it up too bad though, there are a lot of great people out there willing to share tips and tricks.

Thanks to Rand Fishkin from SEOMoz for the clarification on traffic in correlation to search engine rankings in his Whiteboard Friday tip.

Does Traffic Equal High SEO Results?

Summary

Talking about user and usage data and why they don’t influence search results very much.

“Maybe if I get lots of users to go to Google, search for my brand name, click my listing, and then check out my site, Google will give me higher rankings…”

The answer is, “No, not really!”

This strategy is pretty “gameable”. It doesn’t follow the SEO model of link popularity, inbound link quality scores, etc.

On their own, user data will not improve SEO rankings.

The big reason why it won’t work is manipulation.

Mechanical Turk: people who will do small tasks on the web for small amounts of money. Millions of people participate in mechanical turk. However, it’s not going to work for SEO – you can’t hire “turkers” to go visit your site and certain times of day and manipulate search engine results. It’s too easy to manipulate.

Bot Net: zombie computers that create manipulative activity to trick the search engines. Welcome to the world of Black Hat SEO.

The SEO Techniques that Really Matter

  • Accessibility
  • Internal Link Structure
  • Site Architecture
  • Keyword Research & Targeting
  • Link Building
  • Social Networking Aspects

Clicking on your search engine listing isn’t going to help you magically appear at the number one spot.

How did this help clarify your SEO strategy?

Thanks to my SEO friend, Dan Patterson, for sharing this video clip with me.

Categories
Digital Presence & Marketing Strategy

How Do You Handle the Trials of Starting an Online Business

I can’t do this…

That costs too much money.

This takes too much time.

I can’t find wholesale suppliers.

I didn’t think it was going to be this hard.

I thought I could make money overnight.

I didn’t think I’d actually have to DO anything.

If you’ve ever heard these excuses or been the culprit of saying them yourself as you build your 1st online business, CHANGE NOW or forever be stuck in the rut you’re in.

Yes, unfortunately, I’ve heard all of these excuses multiple times as I teach clients how to start an online business.

At first, I just laughed them off or ignored them.

Then, I would repeat what they just said in the form of a question.

Now, I flat out call them on the stupidity of such statements.

I know, maybe a bit harsh, but I’d rather be honest up front.

Cold Hard Facts about Starting an Online Business

  • Running a business is hard work.
  • It’s not for everyone.
  • It takes WORK.
  • It takes creativity.
  • It takes ambition and the ability to break your fears about the unknown.
  • It takes a positive attitude.

Have you ever read this story?

As I was thinking about this topic, I found this funny video on YouTube. It reminded me about how some people, no matter what they get “thrown at them“, always have a positive attitude and keep moving forward (which is what you HAVE to do if you want to succeed with an online business).

If you’re reading this blog post in an email and want to see the video, visit MollerMarketing.com.

Here are some tips.

7 Tips to a Positive Attitude

  1. Be yourself. When you constantly try to be the person others want you to be, you cheat yourself out of individuality and your own dreams. What do you want out of life? Once you can answer this question, the next step is to plan your daily routine to include at least one or two elements that bring your goals closer.
  2. Even if you can’t control outside circumstances, you can control your reaction to them. If you’re currently working in a dead-end job with a boss who is demeaning, make a conscious effort to tell yourself that his poor behavior can make you upset only if you allow it.
  3. Leave your work at the office, mentally that is. When you step outside after a trying day’s work, tell yourself that you have all day tomorrow to deal with the problems and mentally switch gears by thinking something positive or planning your next vacation, even if it’s months away.
  4. Slow down. When constantly pressed to finish tasks, you can develop a negative attitude towards life. If time is a commodity, figure out how you can schedule your chores more efficiently. Just by rising 15 minutes earlier each day, you will have the time to eat breakfast, enjoy the fresh air, and plan the day.
  5. Learn something new every day. What have you learned today? As a child, your curiosity led you to explore and learn. Recapture that feeling today by taking a night class, studying a new language, learning to garden or anything else that interests you. Subscribing to this blog via email could be one way to learn something new :).
  6. Focus on the Positive. What are great things that have happened to you today? Include achievements. Make a long detailed list of everything that you do well or at least that is not negative. Read the list when you need a mental boost.
  7. Help others. Extending a helping hand to those in need makes you feel needed and worthwhile. Make it a habit to volunteer for charitable organizations. Helping others allows us to be thankful for the blessing we have and helps us maintain a positive attitude.

How do you plan to apply these tips (and the Laughing Baby example) to your online business building experience?

Categories
Customer Engagement & Retention

Seth Godin Speaks in Salt Lake City

Before you read this, let me explain what I may start doing from time to time at MollerMarketing.com:

This blog post is a compilation of note taking, internal brainstorming, and reflection based on a great business conference I went to with Seth Godin.

I’ve read lots of Seth’s stuff. I know the guy is good. But I didn’t realize he was THAT GOOD.

Everything he said hit me right in the core.

I left the event with a new energy.

So anyway, from time to time I’m going to do blog posts in a brainstorming format (similar to this one).

Two Objectives for this Blogging Style

  1. Help readers see how they can put their own brains to work.
  2. Help me see and reflect on my own crazy ideas

I also hope this encourages questions, comments, and ongoing dialogue.

Seth Godin Conference

The more you fail, the higher your chances are to succeed!

Question: Are you a genius?

  • Someone who solves a problem in a new way.
  • Someone who figures out how to be a person, not a system.
  • Doing a word map – PEOPLE is what shows up most.
  • His new book talks to PEOPLE, not a company, system, organization.
  • Henry Ford created the “factory world” concept.
  • Interchangeable Parts – there used to be no such thing
  • Ford changed that process
  • Interchangeable parts leads to interchangeable people.
  • Replaceable people – AT&T hired TONS of women to be operators.

Public school is a scam design to create compliant workers.

The reason they want you to fit in is that once you do, then they can ignore you. – Seth Godin

Hunting > Farming > Compliant COGS > “Artists” is where we are NOW

What is an Artist?

  • Being a human.
  • Connecting with others.
  • Giving a gift.
  • Making a change for the better.

We don’t need painters who are cameras. We need painters who paint the way the see the world.

Artists shake things up – they are hard to replicate.

Text books are obsolete.

If you can write it down, I can find it cheaper.

We have to radically re-think what we do ALL DAY.

Don’t become a professional bowler!

  • The best you can do in bowling is 300.
  • There are no super-star bowlers.
  • No chance to stand out.

Don’t get in to a business where average is expected.

If you reward average, how are you going to get ahead?

The recession we are in is not about a bubble. There’s a 3rd thing going on.

A WALL has fallen down – you have the whole world at your fingertips. The world is now there with no middle man.

If you want to write a book, just publish it yourself.

Now you have no one to blame if you don’t succeed.

Why Being a Cafeteria Lady Sucks

  • You’re mistreated by your customers.
  • By your boss.
  • You’re interchangeable.

The Law of the Mechanical Turk

Mechanical Turk breaks things up in to 1 minute segments to get something for nothing.

Lift
Hunt
Grow
Produce
Sell
Connect
Create & Invent – can you invent stuff I didn’t think of?

= VALUE

Taking notes are no good! (woops – I was taking detailed notes as he said that)

What questions ought one to ask to FIGURE THINGS OUT?

The way people/kids think now days:

  • If you buy a lot of stuff at Abercrombie, you’ll be more popular.
  • If you graduate with an A average – you’re “really good at school!”

The next thing I’m going to do is get a D, get laughed at, FAIL…

Most of Picasso’s paintings were HORRIBLE.

Don’t skip the few minutes that are filled with scariness.

Just because the tide is out doesn’t mean there’s no more water in the ocean.

Take a shot – make a difference.

I should try to fit in less. I should try to stand out more.

Gone is the day of Day’s Work = Day’s Pay

The most powerful voice in your head is the voice of the “lizard brain” – it’s the survival mechanism.

Anxiety of the experience of failure in advance.

How can I conquer the “lizard brain”?

If your “Art Doesn’t Work” you’re not pushing it hard enough.

Labor means DIFFICULT

DO WORK THAT MATTERS!

When your lizard brain speaks up and says stop – GO!

SHIP – conquer the lizard brain, get the stuff out the door

Make Art
Give Gifts
Do work that matters
Connect
Lead
Ship

Thoughts on this blogging style?

Categories
Website How To's

How Do You Manage Your Time?

This is information I shared yesterday with 40 colleagues.

We talked about time management techniques and how we can better take care of clients, including how to better run an online business.

Homework

How would you answer the following questions?

How do I currently manage my time?

What are 3 things I can do better to manage my time?
1.

2.

3.

What will the results be if and when I do these 3 things?

Categories
Website How To's

Why Do You Have to Fail to Really Succeed?

Do you really have to fail to succeed?

Or is that just one of those stupid cliches that people tell you to keep you motivated?

What are some of your biggest accomplishments?

In life?

In business?

In whatever?

Were you a first time phenom?

Or did it take a bit of time before you finally “made it” to the top of your “game”?

Starting an online business is HARD WORK! It takes self-motivation and persistence that some people just don’t have.

You have to set goals, monitor progress, and work hard through hard times.

So how do people do it?

Watch, listen, learn and apply!

How do you plan to apply this?

What’s a failure you’ve made today that is leading towards success?