Hey, I’m Back! How Y’All Doing?

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My last post is dated 1st June and, incredibly, now the month is almost over. Where have I been? I wish I had a tale of excitement and adventure with which to regale you, but quite simply I had nothing new to say, and the more I pondered blogging, the more I realised that it was taking up much more of my life than I’d planned. And with less going on in my life, there was less to blog about!

Blogging was an ‘add on’, it was intended as a supplement to my internet marketing, and Reward Rebel blog was supposed to be the reflection of my work. Somehow it started to eat up so much of my time that there wasn’t enough left for me to maintain the projects I already had set up, never mind research new ones.

Well, I’ve had a break, and I’ve caught up on TV – I’m particularly enjoying Battlestar Galactica. In the UK we’ve just reached the midway point in the story, the Humans and Cylons have located and landed on Earth, only to find it dismal and desolate. Who is the final undisclosed Cylon? I think it might be Lee Adama, but most of my theories so far have been dashed, so I’m probably wrong! Ooh, it’s so exciting – have I ever mentioned I’m a massive sci-fi geek?

I’ve also been enjoying Euro 2008. Four years ago, I was in Crete when Greece won the 2004 championship, and it was a total trip! On the night of the match, there wasn’t a bar, restaurant, store, nowhere that didn’t have the match on the TV, and when they won, the entire island exploded into lunacy and revelling unlike anything I’d seen before. It was brilliant.

After watching the match, we went straight out to bedlam on the streets — along with the town’s entire population! There was a pick-up truck driving erratically into the centre of town, halting abruptly every 25 metres or so, to eject a passenger brandishing a shotgun he’d fire wildly into the night sky, jump back in and off they’d drive another 25 - 30 metres, stop and do it all over again!

Ah, Crete. If anything inspires me, it’s my plan to relocate to a waterfront villa on the Greek island of Crete. Nothing fancy mind, just as long as it has a private pool and extensive grounds, I’m not fussy.

Before I sign off, I’d like to thank my beautiful friends online who have enquired about my wellbeing and whereabouts… I felt rich.

I’ll be seeing you around.

Reward Rebel Returns

Popularity: 24% [?]

A Blog Is For Life!

I don’t know if the new blogger just can’t resist all the bells and whistles, but there are certain elements of website wizardry that should be left on the back burner until the new website has built content, traffic and a readership.

Examples of my particular dislikes include:

1. a Feedburner button — “Readers: 1”
2. a Technorati button — “Authority: 3”
3. an Alexa button — “Traffic Rank: 4,689,417”
4. a Page Rank button — “PR (blank space)”
5. a widget stating “My blog is worth $4.82”.

These buttons and widgets aren’t intended for use in this way, they are supposed to be used to publicise positive aspects about the site’s traffic, authority or page rank, not proclaim loudly that it doesn’t have much of any of it.

Why do people do it? Do they just get carried away?

Something else that I find strange is when people start a blog, and sign up to Entrecard and start dropping cards before they have actually added any content. Just a couple of days ago, I saw a blog that displayed the Entrecard widget, but the only post on it was “Hello world, this is my first blog post”. That was it. Period.

Naturally, I appreciate people can become excited, and their enthusiasm is beautiful, but the blogger has to respect the time, and intelligence, of visitors to their website – each new visitor is a prospective long-term reader, don’t alienate them.

If you are new to blogging, or perhaps you’ve been thinking about starting your own blog, don’t jump the gun, and don’t get carried away with all the buttons and widgets. Build some content, enough to engage the visitor, and then start driving traffic to your site.

There’s no rush to do everything straight off. Building a website and its content takes time, as does building a readership. The more thought you put into the project from the start, the greater the rewards you’ll enjoy over time.

Happy blogging!

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 34% [?]

Don’t Throw In The Towel!

As I often emphasise, blogging isn’t my ‘thing’, it’s part of my internet marketing ‘thing’ – a requirement of the modern online business.

During the past few weeks, I’ve been heavily involved in developing new projects, and haven’t been as active with Entrecard as I had previously been. However, during the past few days I have tried to allocate some time again to networking with the Entrecard community, as it’s been a good friend to this site.

To shake things up a little, I decided to open my Inbox and drop my card on blogs which had visited me way, way back when, but I was in for a surprise.

Within just a couple of days I have found myself time and again landing on a blog that hasn’t posted for anytime between several weeks and a few months.

When I first started building an online business, including blogs, I read about the high proportion of drop-outs after the initial 3-6 months. This is the first ‘wave’ of quitters I’ve personally witnessed, and it’s disappointing.

Did they just run out of things to say? Were they expecting to earn bucketsful of cash overnight? Have you tried making money online in the past and given up?

I’ve felt fed-up with it all sometimes, particularly the endless series of new technologies to get to grips with. I don’t have the residual funds to outsource, so when something needs doing, it’s me doing it, or it doesn’t get done!

I had to teach myself everything, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, both in new skills and abilities, and the progress of my online business.

If you find yourself feeling like giving up, try to remember how you felt about making money online – whether via blogging or broader internet marketing techniques — back when you first became interested.

Remember your initial enthusiasm, and the plans you had for your life, which you felt an online business could bring to fruition.

Pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and start all over again. Keeping on, keeping on is the only way you’re going to succeed!

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 33% [?]

Spring Surprise

Thought it was a bit nippy this morning, and got a BIG surprise when I peeked out of the window.

Click picture to ENLARGE.

Spring, my arse! But ain’t it pretty? This is something I love about internet marketing and working from home, the fact you can take a break and go have a snowball fight if you feel like it!

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 22% [?]

The Rose

Earlier today my sister sent me an email containing a story, which purports to be true, however, I have no way of knowing whether or not it is, but it does contain truth, and I feel compelled to share it.

The Philosophy of the Rose

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

Continue reading »

Popularity: 100% [?]

Comments Error Message(s)

Comments Error Message(s)

I’d just like to mention that a problem exists with the comments setup here on Reward Rebel. My thanks to CyberfiZZle for sending me a screenshot of the error message generated when he attempted to comment on the previous post.

Curiously, another dear cyberpal, Web Directory, advised me that he’d also experienced difficulties, but in this instance, it was when trying to leave a greeting on the comments widget on the sidebar.

Whether you think this is simply coincidence, or something more sinister, depends on the depth of your personal paranoia, but I’m not cherishing this as one of life’s interesting challenges!

I must try not to forget to enjoy the adventure<|:-D

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 4% [?]

A New Adventure Beckons

Looking back over 2007, I’m stunned at the difference in my life as a result of the new skills I’ve mastered and expertise I’ve acquired. The year ahead is filled with exciting plans and slightly scarey challenges, but feel the fear and do it anyway!

My objective for 2008 is to move our home to the Greek island of Crete. From the very beginning, when I first began researching online money making activities, it was because we want to live on this beautiful island amongst the warm and friendly Cretan people.

Initially, when I drew up a list of criteria for my new business, the requirements were simple and straightforward — no staff, no physical product, and can be operated from anywhere in the world via a laptop and an internet connection.

Well, we’re under way, there’s a long haul ahead, but ooh, it’s exciting and thrilling… it’s my adventure and I’m gonna enjoy it!

Make sure you enjoy your own adventure… happy trails to you and yours, always and forever, but especially during the new year ahead. Happy 2008!

Reward Rebel

Popularity: 6% [?]