It’s finally here - Day 1 of the 30 Day Challenge.

Watch this to learn about Ed’s ‘Magnificent Symphony in Four Parts’. Awesome stuff.

Well, it’s finally here.

And I’m ready, I hope! After a time-sucking and stressful few weeks at work where I’ve barely had a chance to look at the internet, things have settled down just in time for the 30DC. So yes, I am still here - barely!

I have a number of projects on the backburner, and my main issue with the 30DC is the decision of whether I should work on one of those, or start something completely new!

I guess I’ll just take it as I go, and work it out in the first few days. But I can’t wait to see what we’re going to learn!

I’ll keep ya posted

I’ve been keeping an eye on how ClickHeat has been going over the last week or so, and I thought it was time for an update.

As a basic click-tracking program, it has been useful on a day-by-day basis to look at where people have been clicking. However, there are some ‘issues’ with this particular program.

If you check it each day, it’s quite useful. The issue arises when you want to look at the last week, for example. This is great if you’re checking the clicks on your header or sidebar, as these elements don’t change.

However, as you post, you’re most recent post obviously appears at the top of the page, and the previous ones move down. So, when you look at a week’s worth of ClickHeat maps overlaid on each other, you don’t know for sure which post title or link people have clicked on - as the click shows up in the same place on the heat map, but the page you see is your current one (with your most recent post at the top) - which may not be what people actually clicked on.

I also found that my AdSense ads didn’t show up in the map. They just don’t exist on the page shown under the map. This is understandably annoying, as I then don’t know if people have been clicking on them… although I can, of course, just go check my AdSense accounts.

So, I would recommend it for interest’s sake, and to keep track of side-bar and header clicks. For now, it’s enough for me - I might upgrade to a paid service one day, but I’ll stick with this for now!

I am quickly realising that the need to plan out my menagerie of ideas and projects is upon me.

I had such a brain-explosion in my last few weeks of semi-holidays, and have started work on so many projects, that I can see the terrible time when it will all just come crashing down and I will curl up in a little ball, whimpering in the corner at the overwhelming-ness of it all…

Just kidding… or am I? Seriously, the realisation has come - loud and clear - that I need to really focus, and organise my efforts. The investment of time and money (mostly the former) and my small successes so far have given me the motivation to keep going - and to commit to this experiment for the long haul.

So - I’ve got a little less than three years to achieve my goal - be making a living online by the time I’m 30. The more I learn, the more confident I am that I can make it happen - with a heck of a lot of effort!

I also have the problem of not being a natural ’salesperson’. I don’t like being sold crap, and I’m the sort of person who prefers to be left alone in a shop, rather than being pestered by a supernaturally chirpy salesgirl. However, in my current job I have had to learn the art of selling - and while it’s still not easy, it’s becoming more so.

Why is that? The main reason is that I really believe in what we do. We really help kids, we really make a difference to their lives, and it is truly contributing to their growth and development as human beings. One of the main reasons I became a teacher was because it was ‘right livelihood’. This is a Buddhist term, and I am by no means a Buddhist, or anything else, but I have been interested in studying religion for years (I even majored in Studies of Religion in one of my degrees). The gist of it is that you should earn your living in a way that either does no harm to others, or that actively does good.

My goal with my online endeavours will always to be to provide products, services, content, and advice that truly helps others, and enriches their lives. Now, different people have different ideas about what that means… so perhaps sometimes what I recommend or share will not gel with what you want or need. If so, please be content with the fact that I am truly trying my best! And I’m sure I’ll stumble along the way.

I am, after all, right at the beginning of this crazy journey! I’ll write a post in the next few days that outlines my plans, and let you all in on some of the projects I’m working on at the moment. I’m hoping to get my photography site up and launched within the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for that!

So - where are you in this journey? Are you jumping all over the shop, or have you got a day-by-day outline of exactly where you’re going?

I knew that would get your attention… Seriously, that’s how I felt about an hour ago… when I finally discovered Google Analytics.

How could I have missed this for so long? I had heard about it before, as an offhand reference in a blog or a forum, but didn’t really pay much attention. That is, until tonight. You see, I was talking to my partner Nick, who happens to be in the UK at the moment. He told me that he had just checked out a new page of mine, and said it looked great (you didn’t need to know that, but it’s always nice to share positive feedback…). I was happy to hear it, so when we got off the phone, I logged on to my WordPress Dashboard to check my stats. Now, I just created the site yesterday, and as it’s a work in progress, don’t even expect anyone to visit for a while.

But Nick told me he had… and my stats still showed zero. What the? Now, I am sceptical about the accuracy of the WordPress stats plugin, because of little things like this that have happened before. But it has been the only method I’ve been using to track visitors to my blogs and pages.

Until now. You see, my disgruntlement at this discovery woke that little voice in my head that started to whisper ‘Google Analytics…’

I swear, I almost slapped myself on the forehead in surprise! Why on earth had I not gone and signed up for this before? Totally free, and totally Google - and if anyone online knows what they’re doing, it’s those guys.

So, I now feel a little more with it, and I shall be comparing the results of the two stats systems to see if there are, indeed, any important differences.

What stats tracking system do you use? And what have you found to be the most important/most interesting aspect of the results that you get?

How do you know what your visitors are clicking on?

To some extent, your stats will tell you the answer. WordPress Stats (apparently) shows you all the links people clicked on… though I’m not quite sure how accurate WPS is. However, this doesn’t necessarily tell you if people have clicked to join your newsletter, clicked on ads, and so forth.

Today I came across an awesome tool to help track clicks.

Now, some of you may have heard of the link-tracker program CrazyEgg, which looks very cool, and has a lot of features. Unfortunately for those like me starting out - and not wanting to invest money in anything that I don’t have to - it costs.

However, for those of us who are tightwads - or just starting out (or both) there is a great alternative that I have just discovered - ClickHeat. By visiting the website and downloading the little program, you can install it to each website/blog you have, and each day it will generate a ‘click-map’ - showing you where your visitors have clicked! This is an awesome way to see where your visitors’ interest is drawn to - and what they’re acting on when they visit your site.

I’ve installed ClickHeat both here and over at SustainableSuburbia, so over the next few weeks I’ll see how it goes, and give you updates on what it is telling me.

If you’d like to try it for yourself, go download ClickHeat here.

Have any of you used click tracking programs in the past? How effective have they been?

Just after 12 last night, my internet stopped working.

Now, this is a common occurrence in our place - usually we just have to switch the router off and on again and it somehow fixes whatever the mysterious problem was.

However, last night I didn’t bother, figuring it was about time to go to sleep anyway. Then, this morning, I do the usual thing… and nothing.

I tried all sorts of tricks, but I couldn’t get it to work! I was getting mildly concerned by this stage - but I had a few people I had to go out and meet, (you know, in the ‘real world’), so I tried not to think anything more about it.

Got home this afternoon. Still wasn’t working. Getting more concerned by this stage - but I had to go to the gym, so I left it again and did my work out. Man, I think I overdid it on the weights today - I’ve still got jelly-arms…

Home again. Tried again. No go.

Starting to get really concerned now. Tried all sorts of trouble-shooting, then started to think about what programs had access to the net - and what could be making something go wrong. The word finally drifted into my consciousness…

firewall… firewall…

Ah ha!

I opened up ZoneAlarm, looked at my settings and thought - perhaps if I change this something might happen… and boom! Twhirl piped up, the page loaded and I breathed a sigh of relief.

However, my anxiety at the lack of internet had prompted me to think about this. Perhaps it is something I should consider?

This is my dilemma at present.

I am on semi-holidays from work at the moment (no students, but admin work to get done). Consequently, I’ve had a lot more time than usual to spend online and think about my business plans.

The problem is - the ideas just keep on coming! There are so many things I want to do - so many projects I’ve started, or want to start… but I also realise that if I don’t pace myself, I’m going to be looking at a disaster on all fronts. Like most of you, I have my ‘day-job’. I am also going to be working six days a week for a total of 12 weeks over the next few months.

On top of normal life, where I try to find time for my off-line interests, (my cello teacher is bugging me at the moment… she wants to push me on but I’m not quite up to it yet… need more practice!), and work, that leaves me little time - realistically - to work on all the projects I have in mind.

Now, I mentioned my photography business idea. I have been hard at work getting that set up - creating products, designing a website, brainstorming advertising ideas, (I’ve got quite a good video in mind… we’ll see if that comes together), and generally trying to create something stylish and professional - doing it all myself. I’m enjoying myself, and I can’t wait to launch it out there, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Also, there’s this blog, my Sustainable Suburbia blog, a niche website I’m working on (remember, I mentioned that a little while back?), a few e-book ideas, the 30DC coming up in August, and….

I have a new idea for a blog. One that I think could be really successful. I’ve been tossing around ideas in my head in the general vicinity of a particular niche for a while, but I wasn’t sure quite how to go about it. I’m interested in creating a paid membership site also, and thought I could do it in this niche… which perhaps I still could, though my focus has now changed. But an idea came to me yesterday - a very specific blog idea that gels exactly with my background and interests. However, it’s a blog that will also take good solid research and quite a bit of my time to do properly.

So - what to do? A blog takes time to develop, to gain readers, and to grow before it becomes anywhere near profitable. So, my dilemma is this - do I get started now, set it up and build slowly - perhaps only doing one quality post there a week - or do I wait until the craziness in my life has settled a bit and I have more time, but risk wasting 6 months or so?

Your input would be much appreciated! What would you do in my situation?

I’m pleased to announce the launch of The IM Newbie Forum!!

(da da da daaaa…. cue the trumpets… and the acrobats… and the monkeys…)

Okay, so it’s not that big a deal - but it’s now here nonetheless After spending time on The 30 Day Challenge forum, and looking around for other places to just connect and hang out with IM newbies like myself, I couldn’t really find what I was looking for. A non-spammy, non-money-earning-orientated, friendly place to learn about this whole IM thing, to network, and share the journey with others at the beginning. People who want to make a living - a business - for themselves. Or who want to learn how to use Web 2.0 to their advantage in their current business.

So, I created such a place myself. How could I not, really, when it’s so easy and so much fun If you have friends who you think would enjoy such a place, please let them know. And if you’d like to know how to set up a forum of your own, leave me a comment below.

So, here’s the link - The IM Newbie Forum - and you’ll also see a page tab in the header on this page that will take you there. And hey, it’s brand spanking new - so if you think I should add a particular forum, let me know!

I have been working all day today on my latest endeavour.

Now, there are lots of things I love, and am passionate about - and one of those things is photography. Not to mention photographic art - my Photoshop and me have spent many evenings together… ahem…

So, while looking into my options to build an online business, it suddenly occurred to me - I have all these photos, and art, sitting on my hard-drive. Things I have created for my own pleasure in the creative process. Now, I love it, and others have complemented me on my photography before (see a few examples over at Sustainable Suburbia - no, not the yoghurt…) but I guess I suffer from that lack of self-confidence so many of us share… after all, who’d really be interested in my stuff? There’s so much out there…

But wait. That’s the old, shy, giver-upper me talking. I have grown significantly as a person over the last year and a half of my life, after some pretty big life changes last New Year. And if there’s one thing I’ve decided, it’s that I’m not going to second-guess myself into paralysis and let that keep me from doing what I want to do in my life.

That’s a big part of why I’m working towards this whole online-business thing, even though people in my life have said to me “you know no-one makes any money on-line, right”? Well, I’ve seen enough that I know that’s rubbish… and I intend to prove that statement wrong.

So, I’m working on it - but I want it to be right before I ‘launch’ it to the world. It’ll probably take me a few weeks before I’ve got all prepared and ready to go - but I’ll announce it here when I do!

Wish me luck