
17 Apr The 10 Laws Behind Every Million-Dollar Website (That You’re Probably NOT Following)
“Find what makes others successful. Follow closely. Watch what happens.”
~Unknown Entrepreneur
*****
Today’s the third (and final) part to our “Building Your Thriving Online Audience” series, so we’re going to talk about the things you absolutely must do if you’re serious about building a following online.
Because, as we talked about last week, so many people seem to be taking exactly the wrong steps.
Let’s change that.
*****
Focusing on a Few Things that Work…
Wow – I just got off an awesome Webinar with mentor and Living Legend, Corbett Barr (creator of the Million Dollar Blog Project and Think Traffic), where he discussed his Thriving Audience Framework, the full strategy he used to build a following of over 2m in the past two years (and help turn Live Your Legend into the business it is today).
I don’t know how I still learn so much every time I spend time around this guy, but I love that I now have 4 more pages of notes on audience building!
What do successful websites do so differently than the ones that get zero traction?
Why does it seem so easy for some people to build a huge online audience and business, while other people constantly struggle?
When it comes to building an online following, this is the ultimate question.
First off, it’s never easy. But it can be simple…
The simple difference between the “have’s” and “have nothing’s”, is the rockstars follow a proven process guided by people who know this stuff incredibly well (you wonder why I like hanging around Corbett so much ;)).
In the past few years, I’ve made a pretty deep study of what have caused the biggest sites, blogs and movements in the world (from single-author blog phenoms like Tim Ferriss’4-Hour Blog, Leo’s ZenHabits and Corbett’s work at Think Traffic and Expert Enough, to huge company sites like Google, Amazon or Drudge Report).
And more importantly, I’ve surrounded myself with guys who know this stuff cold.
And I have good news…
Every successful website follows the same 10 laws in one way or another.
I don’t care if you have a non-profit, a for-profit, a blog about your three-legged dog, or a site for your bike shop down the street – it’s time to start spending our energy where it actually makes a difference.
So let’s get to it…
The 10 Laws Behind Every Hugely Successful Website (and passionate audience):
“If it’s a decision between what will make a little more money now & what will build upon the 30-year vision, I will always side with the latter.”
-Any entrepreneur who’s built something meaningful
I. Build Your Foundation
1. Do things for the right reasons. Mindset is everything. Why do you want to have a successful site or following? Hint: no one who has experienced meaningful success, did it for the money. They did it because they loved the nature of the work, wanted to help people in a certain way, or had a dying belief they wanted to share. Money may be important, but if it’s the first priority, then you’ll likely fail, give up or both. You can do anything with the right motivations. If you can’t find them for your current project, then find a project you actually care about.
2. Know who you’re helping (and who you’re not). Stop thinking you can be something to everyone. You can’t. Amazon knows they aren’t catering to the guy who loves to support the local business. And they’re fine with that. I have super detailed profile descriptions of who I’m trying to help at Live Your Legend. If you don’t know who you’re helping, how can you actually create something they want?
3. Nail the branding and design. Naming and branding is not just a box to check. It’s your most important fist impression and it ties the whole message together. I spent 3 months figuring out the Live Your Legend brand (including two weeks unplugged in Patagonia). It’s hard for people to take you seriously if you have a shitty design, confusing branding or look like everyone else. If you’re going to spend money on anything, hire a designer (that’s the only thing I paid for in creating LYL and it was the best few grand I could have spent). It can buy you the most precious few seconds in the business world – the first ones. Present an image that makes people want to respect you.
4. Create an uber-easy way for them to join your cause. A good friend of mine recently got a ton of traffic from a big site, but he had no clear way for someone to subscribe or join his movement. Can you guess what happened? Make it crazy easy for people to join. Even the slightest confusion will likely lose someone – another reason why design/usability are HUGE. Notice how I do it on LYL or how so many others do it. If you want an audience, then give them a seat to sit in (and make it damn comfy).
II. Deliver Massive Value
5. There is no substitute for world-changing content. You must help, entertain or inspire your audience – change their life. As Corbett says, “Write Epic Shit,” or more generally, “Create Epic Shit”. The intersection of your passion, unique talents and a market who needs it, is how you can offer the world a level of value that will blow their face off (in a good way).
You can’t spend your way out of this one either. It comes from you, and it takes work every single day to get ever better at recognizing pain and creating things that remove it. That might be a product, an app, an article, a coaching session or whatever. Do it with more heart than anyone in the world. Don’t expect to always nail it, but create with that intention every single time.
6. Constantly reinforce your reason for being. Don’t assume that every visitor has read every word of your last 150 articles. Always remind them of your Why – of the movement you’re leading and how you’re trying to help. I talk about audience-building on this site because it’s a huge part of being able to do work you love. Don’t assume anything – and don’t let people forget why you’re here.
7. Do the things that make people pay attention. I spend nearly 50% of my article writing time on the headline. No joke. Because the 80/20 truth is that no matter how powerful my content is, if no one wants to open an email or click a link, it’s like sprinting in wet concrete. Spend days, hours or months understanding the 20% that will grab 80% of the attention. Product names and headlines are just the start.
III. Magnify Value with the Right Promotion
8. Pick the right strategy. There’s Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, SEO, networking, PR, you name it. Try to do them all and they’ll all suck (you’ll also want to jump off a bridge). Know your audience, your market and the value you’re providing, then pick the strategy and tactics that are most aligned. For starters, see what’s worked for others in your space.
9. Do one thing over and over and over again. The most successful people in the world don’t do it all. They don’t even come close. In fact their success is usually a direct function of how many things they decide not to do. Focus changes everything. As soon as I noticed the power of guest posting, I did 22 articles in 3 months. My audience increased by nearly 10x. Do one thing that works. Tune out the rest.
10. The Magic Is in the Combination.
Adding massive value won’t get you anywhere if there is no foundation that allows people to experience it.
People won’t pay attention if you don’t offer massive value.
And no one will show up in the first place if you don’t nail the promotion.
These 10 laws won’t do a damn thing by themselves.
That’s why Corbett calls it the Thriving Audience Framework. One on its own is unnoticeable. Together they’re unbeatable.
This is what separates the truly extraordinary sites and followings from the millions that come and go every day.
The ‘Standing Out’ will take care of itself
You notice none of the above points were “differentiate” or “nail your unique selling proposition”. Yes, those things are a must, but they also cannot happen unless you hit every law.
Work your ass off to do it all and you’ll never have to worry about standing out again.
There is always a market for quality. There always will be.
The average blog lasts 3 months.
That does not have to be you.
With the right approach, you can create an audience that can literally change the world.
My thriving audience changed everything
It’s allowed me to spread a message I deeply believe in.
To help others support and grow their cause.
To make friends in parts of the world I’d never heard of.
To do the work I love from anywhere on the planet.
To create the ultimate job security.
And to live a legend I used to only dream of.
What will you do with your audience?
-Scott
The 10 Laws Behind Every Million-Dollar Website (That You're … « Learn Traffic Building
Posted at 02:28h, 18 April[…] post: The 10 Laws Behind Every Million-Dollar Website (That You're … Comments […]
Jason Stone
Posted at 03:10h, 18 AprilHey Scott,
Yesterday’s webinar was totally stunning! Like you, I have a ton of notes that I jotted down relentlessly as I didn’t want to miss any of Corbett’s gems.
The three pillars Corbett referred to really helped bring clarity to lots of the questions I had. I particularly liked the term ‘content is king’. Loved it!
Finally, as you constantly remind people on your site – your driving force should be to make people’s life better. I found this little quote and I hope you like it.
“Our success is measured always in the quality and quantity of the service we render, and money is a yardstick for measuring this service, a very fallible one it is true, but a yardstick nonetheless”.Andersen ‘Three Magic Words’.
Thanks again Scott for the webinar and all you do for us on this site. The world is a better place because of you and Corbett – I genuinely mean that!
Jason
Scott
Posted at 09:37h, 18 AprilThat means more than you realize Jason. Thank you for that and for being a part of what we’re all building.
So glad the event was valuable to you – I know it certainly was for me! Corbett’s focus on delivering value is on an altogether different level than most folks online (or off).
And that quote is perfect. Could not agree more. Thanks for sharing!
Justin Mazza
Posted at 03:31h, 18 AprilHi Scott,
I’ve been blogging for over a year now and I have seen many blogs that started when I did go “belly up.”
I knew nothing about blogging when I started but I was committed to learning and experimenting with different strategies that I learned from blogging professionals like Corbett and yourself.
Scott
Posted at 09:40h, 18 AprilI am glad you’re still at it Justin. It sounds like the education has been priceless. I’m excited to see more of what you do with it. Please keep us updated!
Charlie Forness
Posted at 12:25h, 18 AprilI bought the membership for Think Traffic last year and then failed to follow thru going over the material.
As a result, the blog I started last year under my name lacks cohesion and isn’t getting any traffic.
I appreciate the reminder and am literally listening/watching the Traffic Building Mindset (video 3) as we speak.
zimt-peppermint
Posted at 12:55h, 18 AprilI love the idea of Traffic School, but I don’t even have a blog yet. I plan on taking the Blog that Matters course whenever I have the money, but with the free offer included in Traffic School, I’m confused. Can I do Traffic School and A Blog that Matters at the same time?
Corbett
Posted at 13:19h, 18 AprilHey, “zimt”, great question. You can actually start with the “Start a Blog” course and continue with Traffic School when you finish. OR, you could do them both concurrently if you have enough time in your schedule. The two courses compliment each other well.
Dolly Garland
Posted at 14:55h, 18 AprilHey Scott,
This post is awesome! The 10 tips are a handy reminder of what I must consistently focus on.
I’m a huge fan of Corbett, and my site (just launched) is a product of his Start A Blog That Matters course. I’ve also learned a lot from you, especially as Corbett has used LYL as his case study.
Thank you for the awesome content, but thank you for the awesome business tips!
Scott
Posted at 16:44h, 23 AprilCongrats on getting launched Dolly! Fun to hear you seeing LYL come up in some of the case studies too. Working with Corbett has made all the difference in a lot of ways. Your site is looking really good btw!
Amy
Posted at 20:22h, 18 AprilThese are great tips, Scott! The one that is most relevant to me right now is #8. Pick the right strategy.
I was trying to balance my time between facebook, twitter, google+, pinterest and joined fitocracy ;)…
I sucked on all of them and they wore me out. I just recently started focusing on Facebook and Pinterest because the people that read my blog also frequent my profile on those sites. I’ve pretty much stopped using google+ altogether, and update to Twitter maybe once a day. Because I am able to devote my time in a more concentrated way to the mediums that allow me to interact the most with my audience, I don’t feel bad about ditching G+.
It has to do with that feeling that we’re “missing something” if we’re not everywhere at once. You’re right though: concentrate on your main outlets and you’ll thrive more within them, rather than sucking everywhere. Thanks for the reassurance!
Scott
Posted at 16:47h, 23 AprilI felt the biggest sense of relief once I realized that I didn’t have to spend my time everywhere (and that it would be a lot more productive if I didn’t). Glad you’ve reached the same place Amy! I’d keep doing what you’re doing – I love where you’re headed!
Lori Lynn Smith
Posted at 09:00h, 19 AprilIt is nice to hear from peers that you are moving in the right direction! And I am so glad that I spent the time and effort to really know what I did and didn’t want. Now I am ready to write my amazing content!
Great foundational advice Scott!
Scott
Posted at 16:48h, 23 AprilThere is amazing confidence and power that comes for knowing that you are building off a foundation that truly represents you and your message. Glad to hear you’re feeling it Lori!
Rose Byrd
Posted at 14:31h, 23 AprilScott, the point about knowing who you are trying to serve is just what I needed to be reminded of here today. I am working at (and succeeding by my own ethical standards, which I refused to give up!)pulling together a lot of strong people from all sorts of backgrounds and all sorts of places around the goal. Notice I said STRONG people, not ones who need their hand held ALL the time. I as slightly “down” for about 15 minutes this morning when I saw that I was not getting positive feedback from a poetry blogger who seems to either write about physical ailments or love disappointments. That is totally fine and necessary for the audience that blogger is looking to serve–just not the one I am interested in serving. Point #2 is such a help to me today to refocus and encourage me. Thank you for this wonderful interview/report.
Scott
Posted at 16:49h, 23 AprilIt’s my pleasure Rose – glad it found you when it did!
Izzy
Posted at 23:42h, 23 AprilScott,
This is an awesome article. I am very new to blogging but have been reading a lot of different articles about it. I see alot of the same thing repeated. But this is unique.
I have recently enrolled in Corbett’s class and I am amazed at the level of detail. It is making me see blogging in a completely new light.
Lukas
Posted at 22:41h, 20 MayHi Scott,
this is a great checklist for me. I have finally made a decision to start my own blog because for a long time I felt that I need to start one. Currently working through Corbett´s Start a Blog course. It is all coming together now. Thanks.
Ryan B.
Posted at 10:51h, 15 JuneHey man, in this paragraph :
2. Know who you’re helping (and who you’re not). Stop thinking you can be something to everyone. You can’t. Amazon knows they aren’t catering to the guy who loves to support the local business. And they’re fine with that. I have super detailed profile descriptions of who I’m trying to help at Live Your Legend. If you don’t know who you’re helping, how can you actually create something they want?
what do yo mean with ?
…. to help at Live Your Legend….
Stacie @ WomanInLeadership.com
Posted at 08:22h, 16 JuneHi Scott,
You are right on target about how “Focus changes everything….Tune out the rest.”
It is so easy to get distracted and want to do too many things at one time. Most of us do the things that really don’t matter and will not give us the results we desire.
I look forward to reading more of your awesome posts.
To Your Success,
Stacie Walker
Woman in Leadership Founder
saltna
Posted at 16:31h, 10 JulySo glad the event was valuable to you – I know it certainly was for me! Corbett’s focus on delivering value is on an altogether different level than most folks online (or off).
brand
Posted at 12:12h, 26 DecemberWhat cant be cured must be endured
www.roosmeerman.com
Posted at 16:26h, 24 MayWow that was odd. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again.
Regardless, just wanted to say excellent blog!
John
Posted at 09:56h, 07 SeptemberHi Scott,
These are really great tips to have in mind.
As a newbie on blogging, I look forward to see some resulta.
Cheers,
John
Don't pay too much for your web site | Website Design Perth | Geoffrey Multimedia
Posted at 20:57h, 16 December[…] 10 rules for a million dollar website […]
Let's c where it goes !
Posted at 16:59h, 18 JuneSellBuyLease.com
Al
Posted at 21:45h, 23 AugustWOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for music
http://carolinalights.net/users.php?mode=profile&uid=18217
Posted at 16:45h, 27 SeptemberHello! I’ve been following your site for a while now
and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Austin Texas!
Just wanted to tell you keep up the fantastic work!