Al Carlton presented information on various topics related to online business and entrepreneurship. He discussed traffic sources like search, social media, and building an email list. For revenue generation, he recommended diversifying streams and experimenting. On the business side, he advised not trying to do everything alone and to separate personal and business finances. Finally, he stressed the importance of networking and building a circle of trusted contacts.
2. Banker → Wanker →
Software Engineer → Entrepreneur
◦ Quit the 9-5 in 2005
Since 2005
◦ Paid >$1M from Google
◦ Paid >$1M-ish from
affiliate merchants
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
3. Tweet your questions to @AlCarlton
Answers as we go (or at the end)
Tweet a question? Get an entry to the drawing:
2 hour consulting session (£500 value)
o Talk business
o Talk Internet
o Talk about your holiday
o Talk about whatever you choose
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
4. 1. Traffic Sources
2. Revenue Generation
3. Business Side
4. Networking
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
6. Search
Social
Direct
Referrals
Paid
The Future
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
7. Not an SEO talk >> check out the other talks
Al’s Mantra: Create quality content and let
Google do its job
◦ Help may be necessary at times
SEO practice sound dodgy? Probably is!
◦ Smack down will come
◦ Keep your eyes on the long term
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
8. What works best for YOU?
◦ Understand their audience & your audience
◦ Spend time on what works
◦ Automate those that don’t work well (yet)
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
9. “Even if you can’t be arsed with a Facebook
page or Twitter page, set it up. Spend a few
weeks on it interacting and adding content
and make your visitors aware of it. Down
the line those few thousand subscribers,
followers & friends could be handy even if
it’s not on your radar today.”
– Scott Jones
10. Play by their rules
◦ Know the rules
◦ Rules change quickly…take advantage while you can
◦ Find work-arounds
Make your content easy to share
What is available??
◦ Use a tool (namechk.com)
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
11. “Stop spending so much
bloody time on Facebook and
Twitter and do some actual
work” :)
-Chris Clarkson
12. Make it easy for users to return
Build an email list
◦ Use it
◦ Monitor it
◦ Management software
Bookmark your site
◦ Know how users access you
◦ Make it easy for users to access you
Build an email list
RSS Subscribers
Build an email list
Did I mention build an email list?
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
14. Quality content
Share with contacts in your niche
◦ Quality content gets organic links
Use your personal and social networks
Don’t spam
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
15. “The Internet landscape changes so
quickly now that it's like there are
25 Internet years to and don't be
“Embrace chaos 1 normal year.
A lot can and will happen in thatit
afraid to change. Even if time
means changing everything.”
and you can't afford to rest on your
laurels or things that
'used to work’.”
- Chris Winfield, CMO blueglass.com
@ChrisWinfield
17. Key: multiple revenue streams
◦ Subscription
◦ CPM ads (pay per view)
◦ CPC Ads (pay per click)
◦ Pay per action
◦ Affiliates
◦ Sales
Loads of ways to make money
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
18. “Diversify revenue streams.
And I don't mean having two
different advertising networks.”
– Chris Garrett
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
19. “If you can buy/develop/improve
one site to be the leader
in its field, no matter how small a
genre, you can negotiate very
favourable advertising rates
that could surprise you.
Better to be the biggest fish in a
medium sized pond.”
– Scott Jones
21. Make images into links
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
22. Take it easy
◦ Don’t over do it
◦ Remember your site’s image & audience
Think outside the front page
Sneaky sites
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
24. DO NOT LEAVE MONEY ON THE TABLE
You built a list – USE IT
◦ Get to know analytics
◦ A/B(/C/D…) testing
Target your adverts
◦ Device
◦ Geo
◦ Content type
Target your social media spend
Know your economics
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
25. “Our site reviews have been priced at
various price points…Each time I've
raised prices to decrease demand as
we were getting too busy. And each
time demand has gone up slightly...
Perceived value and your product price
is something you should obviously
experiment heavily with.”
- Joost de Valk, yoast.com
27. Don’t create yourself a new job
◦ Hire professionals for professional jobs
◦ Outsource the things you hate
“If your business cannot run
without you it is not a
business. It is a job.”
- me
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
28. One of the worst mistakes I have made (a few
times) is thinking I can do everything solo. We are
not superheroes. – Chris Garrett
“One of the worst mistakes I
have madeneed somethingit,times) is it that day at 2pm and pay
If you (a few skilled and can’t do personally, then pay
someone, don’t half arse better to finish work
thinking to create the next finished product than work late intowas
someone skilled
I canbetter morning to realise what you create the
night drunk and wake up
a
do
everything andthe way, you may justitget there quicker and with
dross ….and then go
solo. to do properly, it’s still yours
even if you get help along
pay someone
We are not superheroes.”
better results if you get help. – Scott Jones
– Chris Garrett
“One that I wish I knew/applied when I started out is to take the time to figure out the
core activities that you as a founder are best at and equally important enjoy doing…You
can potentially get very good at all of them and think it is a good thing but in reality it is
a big mistake. The sooner you focus on your key areas of expertise and
hire/outsource/partner with others to do everything else the better your chances of
success.
-Toren Ajk, President TAC Marketing Group
29. “If you need something skilled and
can’t do it personally, then pay
…and then godon’tpay someone to
someone, and half arse it.
do it properly. It’s still yours even if
you get help along the way. You 2pm
Better to finish work that day at may
just get there quicker and to create a
and pay someone skilled with better
better finishedyou get help.” work
results if product than
late into the Scott Jones and wake
– night drunk
up the next morning to realise what
you create was dross…
30. “…take the time to figure out the core
activities that you, as a founder, are
“…The sooner you focus on your key
best at and -equally important -
areas of expertise and
enjoy doing.
hire/outsource/partner with others to
There are many else the better your
do everything activities, from client
prospecting, account management,
chances of success.”
billing, legal, biz dev, developing and
-Toren Ajk, President TAC Marketing
fulfilling the actual product
Group
or service you are selling that
need to be done…
31. Hire & fire
“As you grow, finding the right people
is one of the hardest things to do. Be
ruthless, as having to get rid of the
wrong people is even harder.”
– Chris Clarkson
Utilize available services
◦ PeoplePerHour
◦ Fivver (used correctly)
◦ Odesk
◦ Visit “Outsourcing” from ThinkVis 2010/03
32. Take action on ideas
◦ Make notes on new ideas
◦ Register the domain
Research before diving in
◦ Internet
◦ App stores
◦ Ask within your network, friends
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
33. Keep separate accounts
◦ Banking
◦ Credit Cards (get points!)
Consult your accountant when in doubt
Keep ALL records
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
34. “Keep your business life and your
home life and finances apart.
Don’t spend anything unless you
absolutely have to.
Nothing is an order until the
invoice is paid”
– Paul Madden
35. Don’t flush money down the drain
◦ Check your expenses & auto debits
◦ Sit where you are for £650
“If you are starting out and can
afford to reinvest 100% then do it.
This gives you an advantage to
leverage while others take a wage.
Use it in the short term for
competitions, PR & promotion and
buying other sites. If you can’t
beat the competition
then buy them.” – Scott@AlCarlton
Tweet Your Questions: Jones
36. Importance of Networking
Where & How (Not) to Network
Circle of Trust
How (Not) To F*%k up
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
37. Advice
Partnership
Expertise
Opportunities
“A network can be your most powerful asset, and
will be even more import as
the world economy changes…
Make nurturing and attracting network
relationships a priority, it's one of the best
investments you can make.” – Chris Garrett
38. Attend conferences (well done!)
◦ Follow up
◦ 2-4 meetings before considered part of network
Break the ice on social networks
Ask (and offer) email introductions
Give more than you take
Don’t be too pissed
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
39. “No matter how well-
known someone is, at
after-conference beers,
everyone is approachable
and generally happy
to talk to you.”
– Chris Clarkson
@AlCarlton will be in the bar tonight
40. Those you can trust
◦ You go to them for advice
◦ Vice versa
Know everyone’s expertise
Circles will intersect (personal, business)
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
42. I’m
baaaack
!!!
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
43. Don’t let your penis make business decisions
You will be let down by someone
◦ If in doubt, research them
If in doubt consult your circle
Listen to what your circle says!
Don’t spend the money on Dom (Perignon or
Hodgson) - spend it on the business
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
44. 1. Traffic Sources
Quality content
Avoid the dodgy
Use social appropriately
Build a list
2. Revenue Generation
Diversify
Experiment and optimize
3. Business Side
Don’t create yourself a job
Get an accountant! FAST!
Separate business and private finances
4. Networking
Is as important as your product – so do it
Circle of trust
Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
45. Toren Ajk Scott Jones
tacgroup.biz Scottish Lord
@fthead9 @sj
Chris Clarkson Paul Madden
sunshine.co.uk uk.manuallinkbuilding.com
@chrisclarkson @PaulDavidMadden
Kieron Donoghue Joost de Valk
contentnow.co.uk yoast.com
@kierondonoghue @yoast
Chris Garrett Chris Winfield
chrisg.com blueglass.com
@chrisgarrett @ChrisWinfield
-Not going to talk much about SEO-Other talks on the schedule-MASSIVE believer in creating quality content and letting Google do its’s job-If an SEO practice sounds a bit dodgy it probably is and will be smacked at some point
Different social networks work better for different sitessee what networks are available with a tool like Namechk.comPlay by their rulesFiverr fail - buying fansFB fail not emailing when I couldFB fail building the fan base then getting charged to talk to them allPretty graphsFB temp win, link in first commentWin - Competitions but again play by somebody elses rulesMake sharing easy
Different social networks work better for different sitessee what networks are available with a tool like Namechk.comPlay by their rulesFiverr fail - buying fansFB fail not emailing when I couldFB fail building the fan base then getting charged to talk to them allPretty graphsFB temp win, link in first commentWin - Competitions but again play by somebody elses rulesMake sharing easy
Make it easyBookmark your siteQuick tech hint on iOS friendly iconsPop up iOs add to homescreen codeEmail listRSS SubscribersEmail list
Quality contentUse your network
Quality contentUse your network
Loads of different ways to make moneySubscriptionCPM ads (pay per view)CPC Ads (pay per click)Pay per actionAffiliatesSales
Loads of different ways to make moneySubscriptionCPM ads (pay per view)CPC Ads (pay per click)Pay per actionAffiliatesSales
-Image of page-Pie of where commissions came from-Adding a button x% increased revenue-Making image clickable y% increase-Techie bit: Code to quickly make images clickable
ImageDon’t over do itHowever, at the bottom of page 2+ can lead to a healthy increaseExample of a friend that when they get to the bottom of page 5 or so they’ll just sell that traffic for cents as it’s not profitable to them
Don’t leave money on the table-Build a list but just as importantly use itWorse example I was chatting to a guy that has a list of 100K past customers in a competitive niche, he hasn’t emailed them once Example: CG fb fans I never emailed, that was 10K people looking to shop that I missedMailchimp, awebber – use their features and analytics-Have fans on FB contact them
Hire professionals to professional jobs (accountants, legal, etc.)Outsource what your not good at or hate doing
Hire professionals to professional jobs (accountants, legal, etc.)Outsource what your not good at or hate doingVarious Services you can usePeopelePerHourFivver (If used correctly)Note: Show gift guide and explain for $10 got an animated gif, flash animation and html 5 animationODeskLink to previous slides
Great Idea - Research before you startGoogleApp storesAsk your networkExample: Social ArtworksExample App IdeaNote: Funding 8.5 million
Separate business accountSeparate credit Card for businessBenefits are not taxableKeep ALL recordsNote: geverment is trying to claim more tax rant
Don’t Flush money down the drainCheck your expensesFails with hosting, mobile contracts, hosting costs should improve or decreaseSit where you are for £650
-Importance of Networking-Where, how (and how not) to network-Circle of trust-How to (not) fuck up
ConferencesApproach on social networksemail introductionsOffer more than you takeDon’t be too pissedFollow up Notes, generally takes 3 meetings or exchanges for me
These are people that you trust and can go to for adviceThey can equally come to youExperts in different fieldsCircles intersectPersonal and business