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Speedy Shortcuts
There are no shortcuts. There is
experience, knowledge, tools, and strategies which speed things
up, and those are the things we'll tackle here.
Shortcuts for Learning
- Don't try to learn it all. Just
learn the basics. As long as you have enough knowledge to avoid
fatal mistakes, it is enough for now. You can improve later
as you learn more.
- Focus on the most necessary
things. Forget frills, and if something sounds too complicated,
find out if there is a simpler way.
- Ask questions. Don't be afraid
to email someone and ask questions! The worst they can do is
refuse to reply! At best they'll help you, and most people will
at least give you a link to find more help.
- Don't get ahead of yourself.
Work as you learn, and don't try to study too far ahead of where
you are. It is faster and easier to just do it as you are reading
about it. Read about a step, then do it. You'll understand more,
and learn it better.
- Remember, the first time is
the hardest. Experience and practice are a HUGE timesaver long
term! You'll know how to do it faster each time you repeat the
same job.
Shortcuts for Building a Website
- Use a template. It does not
matter whether you make your own template, or use someone else's
pre-built template. Start with a design and then replicate that
page to create your other pages. It will save you tons of time.
- Think about your site's purpose
and your plans for it before you build it. Build the site so
that making updates will be simpler - for example, it is easier
to make changes to a single part of the site than the whole
site, so if you build it in sections it will help - it will
also allow you to build the site part by part if you need to,
and add more whole sections later if you want. It is also easier
to update text links than image links, so using text links will
help you maintain the site long term.
- Use software that is easy for
you to use. Do not try to learn HTML right away, there is NO
need! Try your software before you choose which one to buy,
and then buy the one that is easiest for you to use.
- Focus on Content. Worry about
prettying it up later. This will allow you to register the site
when it has the most important thing in place (text), and to
make it pretty during the time between registering it and when
it starts getting significant traffic.
- Basics first, performance tweaks
later. Your primary goal is to get a site up that is finished
enough so that it can run Googles, and so that it can be registered
with the search engines. Clean and simple design, efficient
layout and navigation, and quality content on every page, with
basic optimization done. Come back later to spiff up the design,
add more content, and improve the optimization page by page.
- Use colored tables for embellishment
for the simplest, most predictable way of adding color to your
site. Done well, it can add sparkle to your site without bloating
the code or taking a lot of time learning to create and put
in graphics. You can add images later to add the final sizzle
to the looks.
- If you use a replicated website,
do NOT upload it unchanged! That will kill your business, and
that is no shortcut! You HAVE to change it first. This can still
be faster than building from scratch, but it is NOT a "no
work money maker"! PLEASE take my word for this, you'll
regret it if you don't!
- Keep a file with standard Contact,
About, Policies, Advertising, Link Exchange, or other common
info in it. You can then just use that boilerplate text for
each of your sites, and customize it if needed for sites that
need something a little different.
Shortcuts for Running a Business
- Keep receipts. Use one place
to put your purchase receipts, another place to put your income
receipts. It will save you BIG over the long term, both in time
and money.
- Don't make it too complicated.
Keep your business structure simple until there is a need to
make it more elaborate.
- Don't overlook licensing. If
your city or state requires a business licence, get it. This
is not the place to scrimp.
- Keep good backups of your computer
stuff - downloaded software that you paid for, email lists,
database files for websites, website files, etc. At some point,
you'll be really glad you did.
General Rules for Shortcuts
- If a shortcut has significant
risk that will shut you down if you do it, then it is not a
shortcut, just a time waster.
- A real shortcut won't remove
the work, or eliminate expenses. It will merely make your work
more efficient.
- If it takes you more time to
use than the right way, there is no point in doing it.
- If it costs you more than you
could make during the time that it takes for you to do it yourself,
then it is not worth your money. The cost breakpoints change
as your income increases, but this rule ALWAYS holds!
If you still believe that someone
can offer you a money maker that takes no time or effort from you,
then you are just waiting to be scammed. This list of tips is honest
and given without ulterior motive.
Expect to learn. Expect to find good
tools that make things more efficient. Expect to gain experience
which makes the tasks faster over time. Because those things are
real, and those things CAN help you earn faster.
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Use this information at your own risk, and contact your
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