Category: Online Marketing

How To Start A Freelance Business With Minimum Startup Cost?
Freelance. The beauty of being a freelancer is that you are the boss of your own. There is no rules because you set the rules. In terms of profit, you takes 100% of the cut and you have the ultimate freedom to do anything you want.

But here’s the thing. Not many freelancers are successful and most freelancers are struggling to kick off and launch their business. One of the biggest questions is always “How to start a freelance business with minimum startup cost?“

In this post, I’m going to share some simple steps you can do so without losing any hair (seriously).

How to start a freelance business?

There are many freelance businesses that you can choose today (thanks to the technological advancement). Let’s say web development as the most common ones which is also the most lucrative one in the market.

There are two things you should be thinking now:
- How to start a freelance web designer work without any coding knowledge?
- How to start a freelance web designer work with coding knowledge?
Here’s the beauty of freelancing. It really doesn’t matter if you have coding knowledge or you don’t have at all. I know, some of you may not agree with me on this but I’ll share with you more information below.

Create a portfolio for yourself

You need to have a portfolio of your business. At the very least, the portfolio should be clear enough to share the reasons why the client would need to hire you.

It takes time to build a portfolio but it is worth it. More importantly, you should focus on building your brand and portfolio as much as you can.

Be honest with what you can offer

This is where the tricky part is. You need to be really honest on what you can offer. For example, if you lacks coding skill experience, your offering should be heavily based on templates and drag and drop builders. Here’s a real-life scenario for your understanding.

I’m the co-founder of Marketing Lancers, a creative agency in South East Asia. We provide two types of web development packages known as low and high tier respectively for our clients. In the low tier, web development is based on templates and drag and drop builders for fast website development. On the other hand, the high tier web development is geared toward custom made templates which require more time, effort and of course, a higher pricing model.

If you have the coding skill knowledge, then you have no issue building a website from scratch. Now, thinking back, having certain skills (in web development for example) is important but not the ultimate necessity.

How much should you charge?

It really depends. If you are going the low tier pathway, pricing can be way much lower compared to a well-planned and custom made website design. In this case, the price should at least lower by half compared to the high tier package.

For example, a full-fledged and high tier website development may costs you around RM 8,000.00 per project which a low tier website development project may costs you around RM 3,000.00 per project.

What are the recommended website development tools for freelancers?

Last but not least, this is one of the most asked question by most freelancers. There are many tools that you can choose from (here’s a full list of them) but here are our favorites:
- Thrive Themes & Thrive plugins (including 10 WordPress themes and 9 plugins, drag and drop builder, lead generation plugins and membership site integration)
- Divi (drag and drop website builder only with integrated lead generation system)
- OptimizePress (drag and drop website builder only with membership site integration)
Summary: How to start a freelance business with minimum startup cost?

As you can see, you don’t have spend thousands of dollars to start a freelance business. At most, the initial startup costs is merely under $150 for you to start a freelance web development business.

And by just securing your first client, you have already covered your initial startup cost and still make a profit multiple folds!

What are you waiting for? Start a freelance business today!
June 3, 2024
6 Things You Need To Make Money From Blogging
The title is lame AF but there’s no pun intended. Every one can start a blog but it takes more than just ‘interest’ to make money from blogging.

Here, you will find the top 10 things you need to make money from blogging. That’s how I went from earning $1 a month from Google Adsense (when I started) to making over $1,000 a month from blogging.

1. Develop a blogging mission

Why do you start a blog? Do you want to make money from blogging? Or is it your passion to share information?

Either way, you need to develop a blogging mission. Blogging mission helps you to:
- Create actionable targets
- Create timelines to achieve your targets
- Determine specific goals to achieve your goals (such as making money)
I got to admit that the above sounds similar but blogging mission goes a long way. You will be able to do way more in blogging (such as making money online) when you have a goal/target.

Copy Me!

My blogging mission is simple and it is divided into smaller parts. Here goes.

The daily goals are to generate at least 500 visits and generating at least $33 from each blog I manages.

The simple calculation is this: $33 x 30 days = $990 per month

2. Free WordPress theme is fine, but premium is better

So you are just starting out blogging. Going for a free WordPress theme is not a bad idea, really — but going with a premium WordPress theme is always a better option.

From features to security, premium WordPress themes knocks the free ones out from the park. Every. Single. Time.

Looking for the best WordPress themes?

When it comes to WordPress themes, I only recommend StudioPress, Thrive Themes and Divi Themes. These three offers the best theme customization, features, support, performance and security — all under one roof.

3. Focus on lead generation

Do you remember the blogging mission I said earlier? Lead generation is one of them.

Lead generation is important because it is your backup plan. When Google publishes a new ranking update, chances are many websites are going to get hit, especially when they count solely on Google traffic.

With lead generation, you are able to collect email and send weekly/monthly newsletters to ensure that readers are kept updated.

You are NOT only reduce depending on Google traffic, you are also able to communicate and engage with your loyal readers — keeping up them up to date with your blog content and even promoting your products.

4. Email list building

Having an email list is important — and bloggers should have heard about MailChimp. There is no denial that MailChimp is good but you also need to understand that free email marketing services only go that far.

In this case, MailChimp is a great email marketing provider for bloggers but it is lacking some important features especially when you need more ‘firepower’ in email marketing.

If you are just starting out, go with MailChimp as the free service is definitely going to be easy on your wallet.

Looking for an alternative to MailChimp? Try AWeber today (recommended for affordability, features and performance).

5. Quality over quantity

If you want to make money from blogging, make sure you focus on quality over quantity. The next time you are planning to publish a post on your blog, make sure you focus on quality.

Sure, the content can be thin and lesser than 1,000 words — but make sure it is sufficient to provide ‘answers’ for your website visitors.

Point forms, using various media materials or even use WordPress builder (such as Thrive Architect) to portray the right message to your audience. In other words, all of these methods are used to make your content go “wow” instead of just wall of text.

6. Aim to be the best

Last but not least, the only way you can make money from blogging is to be the best in your niche.

When you are constantly providing quality content on the Internet, you are building your fame and building reputation to grow yourself. When you build a following and trust, you are more likely to close sales.

As a blogger, always remember that becoming second best is not good enough. Focus on being the best — and that’s how you can make money from blogging.
June 3, 2024
Affiliate Marketing Niche Ideas [2018 Edition]

One of the most asked questions by bloggers are “how do I find the best affiliate marketing niche?”

If that’s your question for today, you are in for a treat! In this post, you will find the top 5 affiliate marketing niche which is going to help you make more money and with the amount of effort.

There is no denial that affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to create passive income online.

Your Heading Here

June 3, 2024
5 Steps To Launch A Blog To Success
Want to launch a blog to success but not sure where to start? In this article, you will find the simple 5 steps you can take to start a blog and make it into a huge success.

If you didn’t know, blogging is a lucrative passive income and side hustle for many. Anyone can start a blog in just a few hours and start generating passive income on the side. Blogging has long been a great past time for students and I’ve even seen bloggers who went from hobby to full time writers!

Without any delay, here are the 5 steps you need to take to launch a blog to success.

1. Find a domain name

A domain name is important as it represents your brand (don’t worry if you don’t have a brand now). When it comes to blogging, you should find a domain name that suits your niche.

For example, it is always better and recommended to have the keyword of choice in your domain name.

There is no wrong going for a self-named domain name like I do (www.reginaldchan.net). Even dot com, dot net or any form of TLD is fine. End of the day, it boils down to your self preferences.

The cost of buying a domain name is cheap, typically under $10 per year. When it comes to domain names, my first and only choice is NameCheap.

To make it easier for you, just use the widget below to find your ideal domain.

Find a domain starting at $0.48

powered by Namecheap

[tcb-script] !function(){ var e=document.querySelector(“#sas_form”), n=document.querySelector(“#sas_domain”), t=document.querySelector(“#sas_link”); e.addEventListener(“submit”,function(o){ o.preventDefault(), t.value=”https://www.namecheap.com/domains/registration/results.aspx?domain=”+n.value; if(e.domain.value === “”){ window.location.href = document.querySelector(“#sas_url”).href; } else{ e.submit(); } }) }(); [/tcb-script]

2. Choose a reliable web hosting service

There are many web hosting services that you can choose from — but reliable ones? Only a handful to be honest.

If you are brand new to blogging and want to get the best value for your money, HostGator is the best option. With web hosting that starts under $5 per month, there is no better deal than this one.

Important note: Remember that cheap web hosting services doesn’t mean good.

If you are looking for a more reliable web hosting service with superior performance, WP Engine and Kinsta are two of the best heavyweights in the market. By going for either one of these web hosting services, you are getting excellent support, along with bulletproof security and server performance.

3. Install WordPress and plugins

WordPress is a powerful CMS and there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be using it for your blog. Using web hosting services such as HostGator, WP Engine and Kinsta, installation of WordPress can be done in just a single click.

Here is a list of WordPress plugins you should install on your blog:
- Yoast SEO / All In One SEO Pack
- Contact Form 7 / Ninja Forms
- Akismet
- chevron-circle-rightAMP
There are thousands of WordPress plugins that you can choose from, but you do not need to install many of them. Keeping your plugins to the minimum is always a great way to ensure your website loads fast.

4. Publish your first blog post

Publishing a blog post is not about simply writing a long-form content and hit the publish button. It involves checking, analyzing, research and of course, ‘beautifying’ the content.

Most bloggers I see do not take enough time either in doing research or making the content much more readable.

Research

Doing research on a blog topic involves search engine optimization (SEO) and the easiest way to do proper SEO is by using KWFinder. You can create a free account and use it to search for relevant keywords (so that you rank higher and faster).

Beautifying

We all hate boring blog posts. Imagine the wall of texts. Those are seriously boring and unattractive. Beautifying a blog post could involves coding skills to make your content looks more attractive which is the hard way — or the much easier way by using visual builders such as Thrive Architect or Divi.

5. Build fan base and followers

The last step is critical for your blogging success … especially when you are looking to be successful in the future.

From the first day of blogging, you should focus in building an email list to encourage readers to sign up. You can offer them perks such as eBooks and downloadable materials to help you get the ball rolling faster!

The trick here is to start collecting emails as early as possible in your blogging career.

Want to start an email list? Here’s what you need to do:
- 1Signup for an email marketing provider such as AWeber
- 2Integrate with your lead generation plugin (I highly recommend OptinMonster or Thrive Leads)
- 3Create popups and different forms of perks to attract sign ups
- 4Send daily or monthly emails to keep your readers engaged
Are you ready to launch a blog to success?

I hope you find these 5 steps easily and useful. Have a question? Ask me in the comments below!
May 20, 2024
How To Be Number One In Blogging?
It’s lovely Sunday here in Malaysia and I want to make this post a short one before heading off chilling with my family (wife and kid).

As a blogger, I often wonder how to be number one in blogging. Yes, the dream is big but at the very least, being number one in my niche is a good start.

I tried a lot of things in recent years and realized that it is really easy to beat your competitors. So, here are some cool blogging tips to help you reach the top spot in your niche.

Related: Want to make money online? Here’s the ultimate guide to making money online.

1. Publish posts based on what others are looking for

Don’t publish a post because you wanted to. Publish a post because your audience is looking for that.

For example, ‘how-to’ posts always strive way better (in rankings) compared to other posts because it is simple to digest and solve problems others are facing.

As a blogger, you are the person that shares information. Therefore, make sure the information is timely, accurate and above everything, actionable.

2. Create impressive content

When it comes to content creation, your content can be short but make sure it is delivered nicely. In other words, impress your website visitors and they will come back for more.

A few examples in creating impressive content are:
- Detailed research and analytics
- Ultra long blog posts (like this one)
- Use bullet points to summarize the content
- Usage of visual builders such as Thrive Architect to mesmerize your audience (click here for demo)
- check-circle-oEmbed videos and visuals to help deliver the information
3. Website loading speed matters

An average attention span of a website visitor is between 5 to 7 seconds. If your website takes over 10 seconds to loads, no one is going to stick around long enough to read the post.

Therefore, having a fast website loading speed is critical for success. And when it comes to web hosting, avoid going for just any web hosting services.

Partnering with reputable web hosting companies such as HostGator, WP Engine and Kinsta is going to help your website loads way much faster and ultimately, helping you to be number one in blogging.

4. The importance of web design

Web design is important. Using a free WordPress template is going to save you some money at first but is going to leave a bad impression in a long run. Plus, you are NOT going to be number one anytime soon if you are using free templates.

Let’s be realistic. Do you think that you can stand out from the crowd by not having a professional website design? Absolutely not!

If you want to be number one in blogging, consider using a premium WordPress theme for your blog.

Premium themes such as Thrive Themes costs as low as $19 per month. Therefore, I see no reason why you shouldn’t be using it (if you are dead serious in becoming number one in blogging).

5. Mobile first (because Google loves it)

Again, here’s another massive problem when you use free WordPress themes. Most of them are not optimized and according to Google, mobile first is a key reason for website ranking.

WordPress theme that you use must be optimized for mobile and responsive. Therefore, I highly recommend you to use premium WordPress themes or at least, WordPress themes that are mobile responsive (click here for sample).

Are you ready to be number one in blogging?

I know that I’m ready to be number one in the blogging niche of my choice. How about you?

Leave a comment and tell me what you think!
May 19, 2024
5 Winning Blogging Tips For Beginners

Looking for the best blogging tips for beginners? You’ve come to the right place. Carry on reading and you will find the top 6 winning blogging tips for beginners.

1. Which is the best blogging platform?

WordPress. Make no mistake. WordPress is the best blogging platform money can buy.

It is easy to use, flexible and extremely beginner-friendly. More importantly, it is free for life.

WordPress.com versus WordPress.org

WordPress.com. It is a good blogging platform that you can start a blog with. It offers all-in-one solution for beginners such as domain hosting and security under one roof, with very affordable pricing. You can also easily scale your website when there is more traffic.

WordPress.org. Commonly known as self-hosted WordPress, this is the most popular blogging content management system (CMS) for bloggers. The core difference of WordPress.org is that you are required to have your own domain (like www.www.reginaldchan.net) and in return, you have absolute control of your blog (from monetization to the way it works).

2. Which is the best web hosting for bloggers?

What is the best web hosting for bloggers? Personally, HostGator is the first web hosting company I used — and I have no regret recommending this to any blogger who wants it.

A web hosting must be able to provide you with features such as security, one-click installation for major CMS and even backups.

Click here to read more about web hosting services.

3. What is the best blogging frequency?

The answer is simple. As much as possible.

The blogging industry is competitive and only the strong ones will sustain. When you are able to constantly produce content, your readers will be kept updated with the latest content — and this will make them come back for more.

One of the best blogging tips for success is to publish as many content as possible to beat your competitors.

4. How to create interactive content on your blog?

Wall of text doesn’t work and it is really boring. On the other hand, interactive content is attractive and will turn heads — indirectly keeping your visitors longer on the side.

The trick to creating interactive content on your blog is by using visual builders. For the record, there are dozens of WordPress visual builders that you can use. My personal favorite is definitely Thrive Architect (click here for the demo or read the review).

Using Thrive Architect, I’m able to create content based on my needs and designing them to make my visitors go “WOW!” This is what I mean.

5. How to make money from blogging fast?

Your blogging success is often measured through the amount of money you make on a daily basis. Well, it makes sense in many ways.

The fastest way to make money is through affiliate marketing as you are able to sell high ticket affiliate products.

BONUS: How to Make Money By Blogging: How I Make 10K+ From Home

At the same time, always remember that selling/promoting Amazon products is also a great way to generate passive income. Of course, this works best if your website audience are primarily from United States or United Kingdom.

Last but not least, do not forget that Google Adsense is a nice substitute when it comes to making money from your blog. The only way to make a lot of money through Google Adsense is through optimized banner location and a large number of website traffic.

Summary: 5 winning blogging tips for beginners

I got to admit that there are many other blogging tips you can find but these are the top 5 winning blogging tips for beginners (which I personally use all the time).

What do you think? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think!

May 19, 2024