This past week, I purchased a new book called Digging into WordPress. This book really takes you from the basics to extensive customization of WordPress – all in a very easy-to-understand format. There are two purchase options – (1) PDF only, or (2) Print and PDF.  I purchased the second option. The print book has one feature that really sold me and that is the spiral binding. It allows you to open the book to the page you want and it won’t flop back closed.

While I am waiting for the printed version to arrive,  I was able to immediately get my hands on the content with the PDF download.  Once the download was completed, I took some time to page through the PDF, reading segments as I went along.  I have a lot of WordPress sites and I can’t wait to start applying the information in this book. I found the book’s presentation to be easy and entertaining to follow.  This is not a boring technical manual.  It is organized so you can go to a specific subject and use it right away.  While you will benefit by reading it from cover to cover, this is not required if you already have a basic understanding of how WordPress works.

The authors give you lifetime access to updates of the PDF ebook.  They also have an active blog with even more useful information. Both the beginner or experienced WordPress user will find this book a fantastic resource.

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links that will provide compensation to our company if a purchase is made.

Last year was a dissapointment from an internet marketing perspective, although from a family and spiritual perspective it was a really good year. In 2009 I shut down my e-commerce business, but failed to clearance my inventory. I also subscribed to two internet marketing courses, but failed to keep up with the lessons. I just have to accept that 2009 was not the year for my online business or blogging.

2010 offers a fresh start and I believe it can work.

Here are my goals:

1. Set aside time each week to work on my business.
2. Limit the time I spend on things that distract.
3. Liquidate the remaining physical inventory from my e-commerce site.
4. Read the latest edition of The 4-Hour Workweek and apply the principles to my business.
5. Re-start one of the courses I subscribed to last year.
6. Start earning some income from affiliate marketing.

Now that I have written down my goals, it is time to start working!

I find it interesting to watch focus groups. Guy Kawasaki moderated a panel discussion for the Revenue Bootcamp called Will anyone pay for anything? This is a group of teens and twenty-somethings and they were asked questions mostly about what they use online, with computers, or cell phones.   While most internet marketers will find it interesting, you really must watch it if you target this age group.

Free was definitely the price point of choice.  Here are a few observations that I recall from watching:

• All members of the panel loved GMail.
• Google is a trusted brand.
• They don’t click on ads unless made to. When clicked, they don’t buy.
• Several had hand-me-down cell phones.
• While all used it, most would not pay for Facebook.
• Not all used Twitter.
• They will pay for online services if their friends are there too and if there aren’t free options.

It is important to note that this was a small focus group and it would be a stretch to apply these conclusions to teens and early twenty-somethings universally.  However, these are important insights. Free and good, will attract them. It is hard to get them to pay beyond that.  I think that Guy got a little frustrated in that he didn’t find much they were willing to pay for!  You remember the lean years as a student, don’t you?

One of the basic problems you will have when starting out with internet marketing is learning what to do. On top of that is the need for a support structure to help you along the way. There are a lot of people on the net promoting “how to” and training products to teach you what to do. Some of these are good and some not so good. You also can’t trust the price tag to tell you what is a gem and what is not.

Many of these products also offer a forum or membership site to help you with support and questions. I have tried several of these and cancelled more memberships than I kept. It seems that so often once the sale is made, there is no more attention paid to you by the “guru” who owns the forum or membership site.

I’m here to tell you that there is a membership forum that is head and shoulders above the rest. It’s Lynn Terry’s SSWT Elite Forum. I stumbled upon Lynn Terry’s blog a little over a year ago and joined her Elite Forum last October. While I believe she would not accept the “guru” title, I’m here to tell you that she is a true expert in Internet Marketing. You can see for yourself by checking out the SSWT Public Forum.

There are several things that set the SSWT Elite Forum apart from the others.

• Lynn is active in the forum.
• Lynn hosts a brainstorming hour every Thursday for Elite members.
• The Elite community is outstanding. There are few internet communities like it!
• Many of the Elite members are experts in their own right. There always seems to be someone online who can address your problem.
• You can discuss your business ideas and challenges “behind closed doors.” The members (and Lynn) are there to help.
• It’s a great place to build your Internet Marketing network.
• Special deals (including many free items) for Elite members.
• The community gives you a built-in review committee to help you improve your projects.
• The price is right – only $27 per month!

I’m a big fan of the SSWT Elite Forum and recommend that you join up. You really don’t have anything to loose and success in Internet Marketing to gain!

Recently, I blogged about several steps I am taking to get focus for my on-line business. I’m eliminating distractions and concentrating on one thing.  The trouble is, I have two (or more) things I am doing and this is causing me to lose focus. I am having great success in eliminating distraction from email. I completed my website update. I got started with affiliate marketing.

There lies the trouble. I only got started, then I stalled. Why did I stall? Of course there are several reasons!

1. I took on a web-redesign project. I am really interesting in doing website upgrades, so that is why I took on the project.  Even that is slow-going – NOT GOOD. This has now become my top priority to finish.
2. I didn’t set aside a definite time to work on affiliate marketing. This will be done, starting with #1 above.
3. Farm-work and my regular job are busy right now.  Both of these will right themselves in due time.

As you can see, I am almost back to navigating some roadblocks, only this time it is not as serious. I believe that website upgrades may be part of my business plan, so this extra project is really worthwhile. I know that I can get back on track, I just need to focus. Lynn Terry posted a great blog about Staying Focused When You Work Online.  There is a lot of good advice in there!