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Posted by Rochelle in About a week ago, a reader inquired about the best way to learn how to build sites. He had already learned that there are a lot of so-called gurus willing to take your money but not really teach you anything. The good news is that there are people who sincerely want to teach you how to succeed in the Internet Marketing business.
The purpose of this post is to offer you my opinions on the best programs available that really will teach you about Internet Marketing, so you can build your own sites and earn affiliate commissions. I am approaching this from the perspective of readers who are new to Internet Marketing, with no prior knowledge about building sites.
In my 10+ years of attempting to earn money online, I have tried many methods and spent far more money on “how to” ebooks and membership sites than I care to admit. I have been lucky to find a few people who really do know their stuff, and share their knowledge openly and honestly with others.
For me, the three best programs that I have had the good fortune to find are (in my order of preference):
1. Commission Ritual and the Inner Circle membership site
2. Crowd Mountain membership site
3. N1Way – The Niche Site Blueprint
So, how do these three methods compare? I’ve created a pros/cons list for each program to help you decide what is the best program for you and your needs.
Before I continue, I would like to add the following. My husband has no idea how to create sites or what I do. It isn’t his thing and he has no desire to learn. To me, that made him the best candidate for asking, “As a person with no Internet Marketing knowledge, if you decided you want to create your own sites to earn an income, what would be most important to you in finding a program that will teach you what you need to know?”
His answer was simply, “What is the quickest, easiest way for me to begin earning money?”
That is probably what we all want to know. So, I kept that in mind as I created my pros/cons list. After all, who wants to wait three years to begin making your first dollar (or pound, or yen, etc.)?
I would like to briefly clarify about each method Commission Ritual and the Inner Circle are two different things. Commission Ritual is a PDF that can be purchased and teaches Brian G. Johnson’s systematic method to site building. The Inner Circle is his membership site where Brian shares additional tactics and methods, offers personal support, and all Inner Circle members are welcome to participate and assist other members. You can purchase Commission Ritual without joining the Inner Circle.
Crowd Mountain is Michelle MacPhearson’s membership site.
The N1Way is a step-by-step guide.
Lastly, the N1Way is not in the same league as the other two methods. It is a good method, and I do recommend it, but I really don’t have
The Three Best Programs to Teach You To Build Sites and Earn Affiliate Commissions
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Commission Ritual: Inner Circle
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Crowd Mountain
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N1Way |
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Forums?
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Yes | No | Yes |
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Support Offered ?
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Yes | Yes | Yes |
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Skill Level of User?
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Newbies to pros will be able to benefit from this method | Newbies to pros will be able to benefit from this method | Newbies to mid-level users will be able to benefit from this method |
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Reoccurring Cost?
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No for the Commission Ritual, yes for the Inner Circle | Yes | No |
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Ease of Use? (1 = hard to follow 5 = easy to follow) |
5 | 4 | 5 |
The Pros and Cons of All Three Programs
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Pros
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Cons
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Additional Comments |
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Commission Ritual: Inner Circle
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This method is basically a “build it and forget it” method. The focus is on building a lot of mini-sites that are laser targeted. Unlike any other method I have learned, Brian puts barely any focus on link building. Surprisingly, sites built using this method don’t need many backlinks to succeed, which seems contrary to what most people teach.
This method works best for my way of thinking. It is about getting sites up quickly and moving on to the next. Automation is the focus of this method, which I love, as I am constantly striving to find faster and better ways to build sites. This method makes the most sense to my way of thinking. A light turned on for me when I found out about this method in October, 2009, and has been burning brightly ever since. The Inner Circle forum is full of knowledgable, friendly, helpful people. It is a great place to share knowledge and get additional help, both from Brian and from other members. |
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Crowd Mountain
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This is a great method for people who enjoy social networking. Unfortunately for me, this isn’t what I enjoy doing. That being said, Michelle’s teachings can be tweaked to niche-type stores, which is what I enjoy creating, but social networking-type sites will really do best with Michelle’s method.
Although there is no forum for this site, Michelle did add something similar to Facebooks method of communicating. I can’t explain it, so I hope you are familiar with Facebook to know what I mean. I don’t really like this, as I find it challenging to actually get help from other members. I would prefer a forum, but Michelle does not want to add one. |
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N1Way
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I can’t think of any | This method works well for people who enjoy writing review-style posts and sites.
I have not been to the forum for this method so I cannot comment on it. |
There are probably some pros and cons that I have missed, but I think the above lists are pretty close to complete. I realize I didn’t say much about N1Way. Honestly, I couldn’t come up with more about it. I have built two sites using this method and one of them regularly earns me commissions while the other one doesn’t. That is due far more to my choice of niches than the site building methods. But, it took me about a month to build each site, which means two months for two sites. That’s awful! Whereas with Commission Ritual, I have been able to setup many sites each week. The more I create using this method, the quicker I get.
In closing, I hope the above information is helpful to any of you wondering what the differences are between these methods, as well as those looking to get into site creation but don’t know where to go to learn.
If you have experience with any of these methods, please share your thoughts on them. Pros and cons are welcome for all three methods.
Rochelle
I am intrigued by Commission Ritual as I am also in favor of knocking sites out by the dozen.
But will it be another fly by night method?
I would have to see the course content to find out…
Tao´s last blog ..True Blood Bottle
Tao,
I honestly do not think Commission Ritual will be a fly by night method. You can access the course content for just a few dollars for about seven days (I’m not positive on the timeframe). Then, if you like what you see, you can pay the remaining amount. If not, just cancel within PayPal before the preview timeframe is up.
Rochelle
Rochelle,
It had its positive sides but I have outgrown the job. So in the last 3 weeks I have built a website, all self-taught with the help of PDF docs and video training. It wasn’t easy that’s for sure. I can tell you that most time was spent on thinking about content (and being so wishy-washy about it too). Many times I would publish one thing and then while in the shower I would have an a-ha moment and implement a new idea, so there I was littering the internet with cached discontinued ideas. What can I say, I offer no excuse as being in the mortgage world for so many years I can’t even speak about any other topics that I am competent with (other than mothering, but there is just so much competition there 
. Certainly I was avoiding having to build my website with a mortgage theme – I am sick of it. So I finally centered on a theme just compiling very informative items as I journeyed through creating new income via blogging. But still I am not happy. I know my site will not generate the income I used to make, although I know that I will be able to one day if I only persevere. Today I found you as BANS promoted your site and I can say that I was drawn to your notes because they were casually written and unpretentious. It does truly seem that you want to give back by telling the newbies what worked and what did not work. One of the discontinued ideas I had was trying to sell uncommon gifts, but I scratched that out. I am challenged because I have no tech background and I am struggling at times on how to post ads or where to place them. I know exactly what I want, but I get no support from Wordpress or Niche Blitzkrieg when I stumble and do not know how to proceed. If you check my site, I think it is pretty decent considering little miss newbie here had no talent whatsoever with site building. Because of the SEO package the site is no. 1 in Google, but (so what? what’s next)? It still has not earned anything from the ads! So I know I am doing something wrong here and I would like to test BANS and then test Commission Ritual like you did. As I become more experienced with this, I now know that I don’t care much about blogging or reviewing…I just want to be an affiliate marketer with a specific product niche (a physical merchandise) that I can be and get others be excited about. I don’t know about how much BANS or Commission Ritual is and I will check it out momentarily but I am so careful now of spending on what might end up as a scam. I do know however that I have not given up and that I continue to be :driven, hungry for more learning, and to reach my goal on not slaving again for 16 hour days at work because I want to be the greatest mom ever. I know I am on the right path now because I get to see and enjoy them more. Sorry to have babbled too long. I request that as you finish reading my comment, that you reply back and see if you can triage perhaps what you think I should try out next. Any comments from you will be valuable.
Thank you for the likes of you. A breath of fresh air! 3 weeks ago I resigned from my mortgage job, reason being…i got tired of this 10-16 hour job which I have been so engaged with for 18 years! You can’t say i’m a quitter
All my Best,
Reggie
Hi Reggie,
I’m afraid I don’t have a chance to respond right now, as I need to go out and get some molasses to make gingerbread cookies with my daughters, and I think your comment deserves a well-thought response that I can’t do at this moment. But, I promise to respond soon.
Rochelle
Reggie,
First, and foremost, good for you for believing in yourself! Yes, you can succeed, but only if you know that and believe it. I checked out your site, and it looks pretty good for someone who says she is new to site building. I do have a concern about it, though. The topic you chose is still fairly competitive. There is nothing wrong with using it to share your thoughts, but I wouldn’t hope that it will be your main breadwinning site. That’s not to say that it can’t be, because it can, but I recommend that you diversify.
You were smart to abandon your thoughts on building a “unique gifts” site. That’s way too broad of a topic. Niches are much more tightly focused. It’s like the difference between a site about cars, and a site about floor mats for Ford Mustangs. One is broad, and much harder to get visitors to because of this who will convert into affiliate commissions, while the other very highly focused, and will bring visitors who are looking specifically for what the site is about (floor mats for Ford Mustangs). The more focused the site is, the more likely you will earn commissions because your visitors want what you are offering.
If you are new to Internet Marketing, allow yourself at LEAST one year to learn the ropes. I’ve been at this for almost ten years, and I am no where near the earnings I want to achieve. I’ve been doing serious learning in the last two years with BANS, Crowd Mountain, and now Commission Ritual. I am confident that, by this time next year, I will be well on my way to earning what I want to earn.
I highly recommend the blogs in my blog roll, as they will help in ways that my site doesn’t in learnings the various aspects of how to do well.
Lastly, you are in good company here. My readers have been where you are now, and they are great at offering help and advice when needed or asked for.
Rochelle
Hi Rochelle,
Thank you, I was excited to get your response. Because I now have a basic site, do you still recommend I enroll in Bans or Commission Ritual or just get downright to finding a real niche?
Excited
Reggie
Reg´s last blog ..A “Buyers” Strategy…
Reggie,
Honestly, I can’t answer your question because I don’t know what your level of knowledge is regarding Internet Marketing and all that goes along with it. If you are new to this arena, then I strongly encourage you to get assistance instead of simply going it alone.
BANS will not teach you this. Rather, it is a platform for building sites. Yes, they have a forum where you may be able to start the process of learning what you need to know, but I haven’t been their in ages so am unable to say if it is still as helpful as it was when I joined it in Aug. 2008.
Commission Ritual is an excellent tutorial, and may be a good choice if you are looking for written instruction on how to do keyword research (VERY important!) and structuring your sites.
Please keep me posted. I’d love to hear about your progress, regardless of how you decide to proceed.
Rochelle
Hi Rochelle,
It seems that everyone & their brother have programs that are “The” program to buy to start making serious income (into the thousands of dollars – and they’re only $90+, or some fraction thereof). My health condition & money doesn’t leave a lot of time for me to invest in all of the various programs.
So, is there anyone out there who has actually put the “Commission Ritual” program (or any other programs)to the test successfully and are earning $1,000 to $2,000 per month at this time?
Thanks in advance to all.
Shooter
@Shooter,
I am not yet at the $1-2,000 per month range for sites made using the CR method, but there are people within the CR forum who say they are making that much, and more.
In my case, I didn’t start the CR method until November. By this time next year, I expect to exceed $2000 per month.
My current goal is to build a minimum of 10 sites per month, following the CR method. By the end of the year, I will have at least 120 new sites.
Some sites will do well, some will not. But, let’s say I earn an average of $0.50 each per site, per day (and that’s a pretty low figure). That would average to $60 per day, or $1800 per month.
I have every bit of confidence that I will make sites that will do MUCH better than 50 cents a day, bringing that daily average up. Right now, I have one site that makes between $10 and $15 per day (it was NOT built using the CR method – it wasn’t built following any particular method, and earns via AdSense).
If I want to think a little more confidently, let’s imaging my 120 new sites average $1 each per day. That’s $120 per day, or about $3600 per month.
Now, add even more sites to that, and you can see the potential.
As to time, I have no idea how much free time you have, so I don’t know if this would be a good method for you. It is NOT a get rich quick kind of thing. The CR method is about making as many sites as you can, and this does take time.
I hope this helps, but fear it really didn’t answer your question. If there is anything else I can answer (or try to answer), please let me know.
Rochelle
Just stumbled across your blog. thanks for this great post, you got a new fan,
very useful. what is the url for your web site which earns you more than$10/day. Also what is the url of any site you have built using
BANS.
Yeskay,
I don’t share the site where I’m making $10/day. However, I will share one of my BANS sites – http://www.ponyponies.com. The site is a bit of a mess, because I’m attempting to change it over from eBay to Amazon. Not everything is available on Amazon, so it’s a mix. Plus, I did WAY too much when I built that site. Live and learn, right?
Rochelle
Rochelle,
Thanks for your reply. But i don’t understand your reason for not sharing your other web site url. may be I am missing something as I am a newbie, just trying to build a web site and confused to use
which tool BANS or wordpress etc.,. It is my understanding that all publishers want to advertise their site and that’s the reason i did not hesitate to ask you the URL for your site. Sorry If that was an issue.
Thanks.
Yeskay,
Many of us who have blogs like this one prefer not to share our sites publicly for many reasons. In some cases, lazy people will see a successful site and duplicate it (sometimes word for word) instead of doing their own research and work. In other cases, some people will work to sabotage successful sites. So, it is common for some sites to be kept close to the vest.
I hope this clarifies why I chose not to share one of my sites. No offense taken
I shared the BANS site because that is one I have shared publicly in the past and really don’t care if someone attempts to duplicate it. I wish anyone luck who might attempt to do so! Plus, I will soon retire that site.
Rochelle
Hi,
What did you use to build this site. I came here through a link from
BANS. Do you suggest uisng wordpress instead of BANS as it is for sale? I am a newbie so I am not sure if WP is equivalent to BANS for
building a web site? WP from wordpress.com or wordpress.org?
Thanks.
Yeskay,
I’m not sure if you are asking about this site here, or the one where I earn AdSense. Regardless, both are Wordpress sites. Wordpress makes site building extremely easy.
Honestly, I have no idea what the plans for BANS are, and it hasn’t been updated in a few years. At this point, I would stay away from it, simply because its future is unknown. If it becomes updated, then it would be worth purchasing, but I’d go with Wordpress for now.
You can download Wordpress from http://wordpress.org/download/. No, WP and BANS are not equivalent. You can actually use BANS to build other types of sites, not just eBay sites, but WP is a MUCH easier way to do this.
Rochelle
Some websites make a low amount of revenue from affiliate programs, but others are making a full time living or even generate spectacular amounts of money, It all depends on the amount of visitors you can get , what affiliate programs you choose and how you’re advertising them on your website.