nick usborne's blog

Over 200 web content ideas and, finally, an affiliate program.

Two piece of news this week for Web Content Cafe.

First, there are now 202 web content ideas on the site. That would make for a nice, thick book...packed with quality content ideas that attract new search engine traffic, engage readers and lead to increased revenues.

Even if you subscribe for just one month, you’ll get immediate access to all these ideas.

In addition, I have now added an affiliate program.

So if you have friends, colleagues or a larger audience of people who are involved in web content creation, you can make some extra income by referring them to Web Content Cafe.

For each new member you refer, you’ll receive a one-time payment of $8.50.

Refer just two members a month, and you’ll have more than paid for your own membership.

Sign up now and add your affiliate link to your website, e-newsletters and social media pages.

Here is the Web Content Cafe Affiliate sign-up page...

 

 

Getting close to $10k with my coffee site this month...

As you may know, in my spare time I have a website about making coffee. For the last few years I have been consistently adding new content to the site.

Well, this month, it looks like my income from that site – CoffeeDetective.com – could break the $10k barrier.

Not bad for a hobby site. Granted, December is the strongest month of the year for affiliate and AdSense income, as people buy coffee makers and grinders as gifts. But even so.

As you can imagine, the revenue from that site is my favorite kind of income.

It’s passive, comes in every month, and I make it doing something I enjoy.

I’m my own boss too. No clients. No deadlines. I just work on the site as and when I can, and when I feel like it.

If you like the idea of having that kind of income stream for yourself – but don’t know how to do it – you need a copy of my program, How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites.

Get it now, and you’ll have time to go through it once before my next series of 7 live training webinars starts on January 17th. No extra charge for the live webinar training, or the member forum site.

Get my program before December 15th, and you’ll also save $100 on the price.

In other words, get it now. ; )

More about How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites...

 

 

Why I turned down a $100k+ offer for my coffee website...

"How to Write Your Own Money Making Websites" is by far the most popular of all my programs.

And I can understand why. The passive income I make with my own “hobby sites”, like CoffeeDetective.com, is the income I like best. It comes in each month, rain or shine, and even while I am on vacation.

If you write for a living and don’t yet have one of more of these money-making websites, I encourage you to get started.

If you choose a topic that interests you – and in my case, that’s coffee – then working on the site is more of a hobby than work.

Plus...given some time and work, that hobby site can start generating a significant income. It’s a separate stream of income, and it can really make a difference.

For instance, the income from my coffee site pays my mortgage, my utilities, my car payments, my groceries...and more. It actually earns me a sum in excess of the average family income here in North America.

Plus, I have created an asset. A few months ago I was offered a cash payment for the site in excess of $100,000.

Not bad for a hobby.

I didn’t accept it, because I know my site can earn me a lot more than that over the next few years.

Sound like the kind of “hobby asset’ you would like to have?

If you get your own copy of How to Write Your Own Money Making Websites before October 29th, you’ll save $100.

Plus you’ll get immediate access not only to the full program, but also to the recordings of an 8-week webinar training program.

Learn more about How to Write Your Own Money Making Websites here...

 

 

Web Content Café -- 20 Great web content ideas, and rising daily.

My new Web Content Café site has been up for almost three weeks now, and as of today there are 20 web content ideas posted.

Plus, over the last week alone, 5 new content best practices articles have been added to the dozens of articles already on the site.

In other words, the site is growing daily.

If you haven’t signed up yet, you can now become a member and get immediate access to all those web content ideas and articles – and get a new content idea every week day from now on.

Why sign up?

Because content pages are the lifeblood of every website.

The more quality content pages you have, the more visitors you will get from the search engines.

The more pages people find, the deeper your engagement with your readers.

And, ultimately, the more pages you have, the greater the potential for increased revenues, whatever your business model.

A couple of changes since launch day...

I have added an annual subscription option. Subscribe for a year and you’ll get 12 months for the price of 10, when compared to the monthly subscription option.

This is a great choice for anyone, and particularly for those who have their employer or a client pay the subscription. Paying just once a year just makes things simpler.

I have also added a bonus for every new subscriber. Subscribe now and you’ll get a free copy of Writing Rituals, my popular guide to increasing your writing productivity.

Combine the lessons from Writing Rituals with the daily content ideas from Web Content Café, and you’ll be adding new pages to your website in record time.

This is a must-have subscription for anyone who writes new web content pages on a regular basis.

Learn more and become of member of the Web Content Café...

Why the Web Content Café is a membership site, and not an e-book.

Someone asked me today why I went to the trouble of creating my Web Content Café website.

“If you are just sharing web content ideas and best practices, why not just publish an e-book?”

Good question.

It’s true, I could sit down and write 101 web content ideas and then publish them as a PDF.

But if I did that, here’s what would happen...

People would buy the PDF, read all or part of the e-book, and then file it in a folder deep down on their hard drive. Would they then refer to it again? Some would, many wouldn’t.

My purpose with Web Content Café is to help content writers get into the habit of writing new, quality content on a regular basis.

We all know that adding good content to a website adds value.

It keeps the website fresh.

It gives us more opportunities to share through social media.

It engages more readers, more deeply, more often.

It captures more traffic through the major search engines and, over time, lifts the overall ranking of the site.

And it makes more money. With almost any online revenue model, the continuous, regular addition of content eventually translates into increased profits, either directly or indirectly.

That’s the promise of good online content.

But, with the best will in the world, most of us fall far short of adding new pages on a daily basis. We know we should, but other stuff gets in the way.

That is why I created Web Content Café as a membership site. As an e-book, it would be passive, gathering dust on hard drives.

Instead, when you subscribe, you’ll have access to a fresh new content idea daily, five days a week.

It’s a bit like me standing behind you each morning and saying, “Hey, don’t forget to write some new content today. And here is an idea to get you started.”

If you write web content, and feel you would benefit from a gentle nudge each morning to get you started, learn more and sign up for Web Content Café membership here...

Your second chance to get live training with my Money-Making Websites program.

In my last post I wrote about the success we had with the live training program for How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites.

Well, we are going to do it again.

All live, for a whole new group, starting May 3rd.

And for this group things should get even better.

How come?

Because everyone will be able to access all the existing content on the training membership site.

The membership site went live with the first live training and now includes thousands of posts. So there is a ton of useful information already on the site.

In addition, everyone who takes part in the new training will benefit from the support and encouragement of existing members who already have their own money-making websites online.

In other words – you get the program, seven weeks of live training with me, plus the support of a vibrant, successful and supportive group of site owners.

And all this is included in the regular price of the program.

Not bad, even though I do say so myself.

If you would like to see some of sites created by members of the first training group, here is the catalog.

If you would like to take part in the second round of training sessions, you must purchase the program before April 23rd. The new round of training webinars begins on May 3rd.

If you have ever wanted to create a big second income by writing a site that makes you passive income, month after month and year after year, now is the time to get started.

And...if you already have the program, whenever you purchased it, you are eligible to take part in the training.

And if you took part in the first training series, but feel you still need an extra boost, you can join us again starting on May 3rd.

Learn more about the program here...

Listen to the recording of my teleconference call on the difference between having a freelance JOB and a freelance BUSINESS.

These last few weeks I have been busy writing about and talking about my most recent program, Breakthrough Freelance Success.

This teleconference call is all about the difference between our default perception of what freelancers SHOULD do and what freelancers COULD do.

It’s a strange thing. That default perceptions leads many freelancers to enter into a life of near servitude – being grateful for every crumb of work a client might pass their way.

But to my mind, the worst thing about the traditional way of freelancing is that you earn money only when you are at your desk. If you take two weeks off, or are sick, the flow of income stops, immediately.

Essentially, most freelancers are piece workers. It’s like being paid for each pair of pants we sew, but in our case it’s for each project we write, design or code.

To put it another way, most freelancers have almost no control over their lives or their futures. They just keep hoping they can bring in enough work next month to pay the bills.

My program turns all that on its head.

It explores and explains, step by step, a whole different approach to freelancing. It is an approach which entails YOU being in the driver’s seat of your business. And it involves building a real business that pays you a lot more than you’ll make as a traditional freelancer.

You’ll find this explained in more detail by listening to this recording of a teleconference call I gave a few days ago.

BTW – If you do decide to purchase my Breakthrough Freelance Success program, try to get it before the end of this week, Friday March 19th. After that, the price goes up by $100.

Do you have a freelance job, or a freelance business?

You may not have thought about this, but there is a huge difference between having a freelance job and a freelance business.

Let’s look at some of the attributes of each.

A freelance JOB...

You are tied into a constant and relentless cycle of finding work, doing the work and billing for the work...over and over again...one assignment at a time.

You usually get paid by the hour.

When you take a vacation or are sick, you don’t make any money during the period you are off.

You tend to be at the beck and call of your clients, and think twice before saying no even to their most unreasonable demands.

While you are busy working on this month’s projects, a part of you is already worried about picking up enough work next month.

You sometimes accept work that really doesn’t suit you. But you take it because you need the money.

Now let’s look at some of the attributes of a freelance BUSINESS...

You are very focused on a set of ambitious, long-term goals for your business.

You seek out only those clients and assignments which move you forward towards achieving those goals.

You aren’t paid by the hour, you charge a value-based fee for each assignment. (And you earn significantly more per assignment than if you did charge by the hour.)

You have a reputation as an expert and authority in your niche, so you spend very little time looking for new clients – because they come to you.

You work on very few small assignments, and are skilled at expanding the scope and value of every assignment you accept.

You are comfortable saying no to a client or prospect when you need to, and feel yourself firmly in the driver’s seat of your own business.

You have developed, or are developing, some passive sources of income for your business. This means you can take that vacation and still make money while you are away from your desk.

How do you make the switch between having a freelance job and a freelance business?

Step one is an inner game, inside your head. You have to make that switch in attitude first. You have to create an inner determination to be in control of your business and set some clear goals.

Then you have to take action, on a consistent basis, with each step taking you forward in the direction of your goals.

This is a big topic, and is the focus of my latest course, just published, called Breakthrough Freelance Success.

The course takes you through all the steps necessary to creating a more profitable freelance business.

It doesn’t matter whether you are just starting out, or have been freelancing for decades. Nor does it matter whether you are a writer, copywriter, designer, coder, virtual assistant or consultant.

The same principles and strategies apply.

For more on creating a freelance business that works for YOU, learn about Breakthrough Freelance Success here...

Bonus Chapter: New Path to Retirement Riches

When I hear from people who have read New Path to Riches, more often or not they are retired.

At first, this surprised me. But it really shouldn’t have.

This is a model for making money that is ideally suited to anyone who is retired, or getting close.

New Path to Riches is about writing a website, based on a topic that interests you.

Who has plenty of time to write a great website?

Who has a whole lifetime of experience to draw on?

Who has the wisdom to know that “get rich quick” is an empty promise?

People who are retired. That’s who.

Making a second and passive income by sharing what you know through a website is a great way for retired people to supplement their incomes. And goodness knows, more and more people are having to find a way to supplement their retirement income.

It used to be that you could depend on your retirement savings to provide a comfortable retirement. But not any more.

If you are retired, or getting close, click the link below and get your free copy of the bonus chapter.

If you are not, please share the link with someone you know who is retired, and has the time and knowledge to share what they know through a website of their own.

This link will open a PDF version of the bonus chapter.

New Path to Retirement Riches...

Recent reviews of my book, New Path to Riches

“While freelancing can be a constant “where’s-my-next-gig-coming-from?” grind, and ’secure’ 9-5 employment is anything but, smart folk lay the groundwork for that magical phenomenon known as ‘passive income.’ In this comprehensive, readable work, Usborne proves he’s one of the smart ones, laying out a detailed and proven blueprint for capitalizing on the dizzying technological breakthroughs of our age to turn your after-hours passions into steady cash. My own vague ideas now have a focus AND an engine.” - Peter Bowerman, Author of The Well-Fed Writer series.

“As a small business owner working from home, there are times when business slows down (not often, but it does happen). I wanted to find another way to produce income during those times, and have it also be something I love already – researching, writing, and providing information. Purchasing New Path to Riches by Nick Usborne was genius.

Nick Usborne simplifies the money-making website concept with his guide, New Path to Riches. With the economy creating new entrepreneurs by the hundreds, we brave souls who look to find additional income streams to fish from want to have the shortest distance to success. Not get-rich-quick, just additional income by putting forth a little effort. And a fail-safe plan doesn’t hurt either.

In New Path, I had ideas jumping out at me before I hit the halfway point. And by the end, I knew the exact steps to take to begin making money from websites. Nick has been making money for years, and using his approach, the only way I can fail is by not doing anything with this knowledge.” - Loralei Matisse, small business owner.

“If I had to rate your book from 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest, it would be a 15. From a non-technical person perspective it was very clear and concise. You delved into the subject of how to pick and idea for a website in a very through way and I feel I am closer to getting started and having the confidence to see this project through. I enjoy and have benefited from all of the material you have written.” - Rita Jones, a happy reader.

“Usborne writes extremely well. He’s easy to read, clear about how to approach this, honest about the possible results, and encouraging to people who are desperately trying to find a way to earn money via the Internet. I like the book. I strongly recommend New Path to Riches for individuals who want to begin developing modest revenue streams on the Internet.” - Dr. Ralph Wilson, Web Marketing Today.

“I picked up Nick Usborne’s “New Path To Riches” out of loyalty to Nick – a fellow copywriter.  When I closed the last page I was hooked on the concept of creating a money-making website that’ll ease my retirement years.  Nick doesn’t claim it is effortless at the beginning of the process.  He doesn’t promise you’ll become an instant millionaire.  What he does promise, in easy to understand phrases for a Luddite like me, is a fun way to turn a hobby, a passion, or just an interest, into a stream of steady money that will help pay my bills for years to come.” - Penny Thomas, PennyThomas.com

“Nick Usborne argues convincingly that to earn money online, you don’t need  world-class knowledge;  you can easily be the expert next door.  He explains which kinds of positioning persuade people to open their wallets and how to take the right tone for success.  His book is logically organized, full of  interesting examples and highly recommended for anyone curious about making  money on the Internet.” - Marcia Yudkin, Author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity and 10 other books.

"Awesome book! I’m planning to make it my x-mas gift this year to my friends.

Everyone I know could use a little extra money every month. And this book gives them the blueprint to do just that.

Nick explains exactly what he did to turn a simple website on coffee into a $50K a year revenue stream, and shows readers how they can do it too, on any topic they’re interested in.

I love the overall idea – probably because it’s the polar opposite of most books on internet opportunities out there (and I’ve read a bunch!). It’s not about using the internet to get rich quick. It’s about using it to create an asset that provides a steady income that you can count on." - Rebecca Matter, WhatToCookWhen.com

More about New Path to Riches...