Buy 4×4 Video Games!
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As 4×4OffRoads.com is really becoming an authority site it is about time to expand it using InfinIt!
Today I added a BANS - Niche Store to enhance the site and add some interesting 4×4 off road video games. I selected the most popular 4×4 games from eBay. The store is nicely integrated with the same look and feel as the original site. At the same time I updated the core part of the site with a little more flexible setup, where the content centers on screen if the width of the browser window is more than 1024 pixels.
Enter the world of 4×4 Off Road video games! Race huge V8 powered 4×4s, monster trucks and ATVs around rugged terrain, including islands, massive arenas and volcanoes.
All the top 4×4 truck and off road video games are available:
4X4 Evolution 2
ATV Offroad Fury 3
ATV Offroad Fury Blazin Trails
Big Mutha Truckers
Cabela’s 4X4 Off Road Adventure
Dirt
Excite Truck
Ford Racing Off Road
Jeep Thrills
Larry Ragland’s 4X4 Challenge
Monster 4X4: Masters of Metal
Monster 4X4: World Circuit
Monster Jam Maximum Destruction
Monster Truck Jam
Monster Trux Offroad
Moto GP Ultimate Racing 3
Mx Vs ATV Untamed
Off Road Extreme Special Edition
Test Drive Off Road
I am working on adding a forum using the same InfinIt! extension. That will be done using the popular phpBB forum platform. More about that later.
Popularity: 14% [?]
WordPress Blogging or Building an SBI site?
As you may know I am a great fan of Ken Evoy of SiteSell. His clear thinking and especially his way of transferring those ideas to the people around him is mindboggling. Ken likes to shake up things and get you to look deeper than before.
This time Ken set forth a direct attack on the blogging craze.
Blog or Build? With Site Build It!…
You Actually Do Both Automatically.
Beyond That, Is Full Blogging Right For You?Should You Full Blog? For Most Small Business People…
“Full-Blogging” Is the Wrong Choice To Build a Business
Blogging. Everyone’s doing it.
And that is a financial mistake for most small businesses. Few make much money at blogging because it is usually the wrong way to grow an online business. That’s important if you want your Web venture to be more than just a hobby (”an activity or interest pursued for pleasure and not primarily for income”).
What is blogging, exactly? Well, after you strip away all the hoopla…
Blogging is merely a different way to build a Web site. Its content is organized by the date/time of its “posts,” which are what blogs call “Web pages” (even the word “posts” suggests time-sensitivity).
The points he makes are well thought out.
Of course his statements have caused a stir in the blogging world. Rosalind Gardner got all angry and wrote what I consider to be a less well thought out response:
http://www.netprofitstoday.com/blog/blogging-is-a-massive-mistake-huh/
Andy Beard takes a much more balanced route and admits he has learned a lot from Ken and understands his point.
http://andybeard.eu/2008/04/ken-evoy-attacks-blogging-wordpress.html
I think the main point Ken is making is that for the average business a full blog is simply too much work for the actual results it will produce. Taking the long time view will make the blogging posts of little value.
Some are talking about the technical aspect of blogging vs. building. SBI is not really a technical solution it is a marketing strategy along with a handful of tools to support the growth.
For me - as a technical thinker and doer - I chose to create this one blog to link all my sites and to have a place where I can express my views on a number of things - small and large.
My recommendation:
Choose WordPress if you are willing to spend more time and cost or are willing to take on the steeper learning curve. You will have to learn about the more technical sites of hosting like upgrading the software and handling technical challenges. Outsource these things and the cost goes even higher.
Choose SBI if you want to drive your business safely to a set goal. My SBI sites are the core of my strategy of building an “online empire” (sorry if that sounds like a used phrase).
In the end it is all a matter of delivering value to your customer and making the world a little better.
Popularity: 33% [?]
InfinIt! Makes Digital Camera Discount Store Possible!
Digital-Photo-Web.com has been online for a few years and is gradually getting more traffic. To serve the readers who are looking for a new digital camera the InfinIt! addition from SBI comes at a great time. The store is made a part of the Digital-Photo-Web.com domain even though it is hosted at Bluehost. Integration on the look and feel proved relatively simple - I only had to make changes to three files - header.php, footer.php and styles.css.
i.Digital-Photo-Web.com is now live and can help you select the right digital camera and accessories for your needs.
The Digital Camera Discount Store is the newest member of my series of BANS - Make Your Own Niche Store sites. You should be able to find all major camera brands and all the needed extras at great prices:
- Digital Cameras
- Camera Accessories
- Camera Flashes
- Camcorders
- Camcorder Accessories
- Lenses & Filters
- Bags, Cases & Straps
- Tripods & Monopods
- Lighting & Studio
- Popular Digital Cameras
- Canon EOS
- Canon Powershot
- Nikon D300
- Nikon D80
- Panasonic Lumix
- Sony Alpha
- Sony CyberShot
Photography is very popular on the web and here are a few articles you might like to check out:
Spring photography roundup
Revolutionary: Capturing the Moment
Get Way More from Your Canon Digital Camera with Open-Source Firmware
Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Digital Camera
Popularity: 47% [?]
Freedom of the Seas - SBI Cruise 2008
We have never been on a cruise ship before and never to the Caribbean so this is going to be an adventure to remember! Among the thousands of passengers on board the Freedom of the Seas are Webmasters from SBI who organized the cruise on the Caribbean.
Freedom of the Seas is currently the largest cruiser ship in the world. At an overall length of 338.77 meters (1.111.5 ft), width (beam) of 38.6 m (126.65 ft) it is truly massive.
Freedom of the Seas on other blogs:
Freedom of the Seas
Caribbean Cruises: Freedom of the Seas
Caribbean Cruises: Cruise With “FREEDOM OF THE SEAS”
Popularity: 93% [?]
Site Build It! - HTML & JavaScript Magic
On the SBI Cruise on Freedom of the Seas I had the opportunity to talk about HTML & JavaScript Magic.
If you want to view the slides you can download them right here:
http://thrandur.net/files/Thrandur-JavaScript-Magic.pdf - (Adobe Acrobat Reader)
http://thrandur.net/files/Thrandur-JavaScript-Magic.ppt - (Microsoft PowerPoint)
Popularity: 38% [?]
Best Web Hosting
My Digital Photo Webs are made in Iceland, hosted at the Best Web Hosting company and for YOU and the rest of the brave new world to enjoy!
Everybody is a peer on the internet and I am a firm believer in the new on-line lifestyle. It truly is a GLOBAL VILLAGE.
As you can see my sites ranks already in the TOP 1% of all internet sites as measured by Alexa. This I can contribute in no small way to the Best Web Hosting I know. The statistics show estimated traffic rank number from all the millions of sites on the whole internet 
…you may as well ask - How come my sites are doing so well?
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Why I Built These Sites
I had been searching for the best way to start my own web sites. I didn’t want to just start and throw up something but wanted to do the right thing. The idea was to build a site that had a message to the world and preferably could sustain itself.
I know from my work as computer expert that setting up a website from scratch was not going to be a simple task - with all the firewalls, bandwidth issues and programming. All my time would be spent building the framework and very little time to do actual content. Also another issue I thought about was HOW to get any traffic.
I was lucky enough to come across this FREE e-book about building sites that really got me THINKING - if I could perhaps find my own niche and even a new mission in life. The book showed me a whole new way of looking at the web site building process - much more into the WHY but also centering on how to FEED the “other” side of the search engines like Google and Yahoo.
This looked like a perfect match for me - a set of tools that are simple to use and allowed me to concentrate on delivering content and not worry about all the technical details.
As it has gradually turned out the hosting company I found delivers much more than simple web hosting. In fact, web hosting is only a part of a much larger and more valuable package.
How I Built These Sites
- Starting out by BRAINSTORMING about a few possible concepts - I came up with 4×4 and off roading. My love for travel in the Icelandic highlands would fuel endless ideas for content.
- Measuring SUPPLY and DEMAND for keywords related to 4 wheeling showed a lot of potential.
- I researched a lot of possible ways to monetize and found that Google AdSense is the perfect solution for this site - unobtrusive ads that are relevant for the content of each page.
- Concentrating on REFINING the concept I also started to look for a DOMAIN name. When I saw that 4×4OffRoads.com was not taken - you can imagine my surprise and joy. I immediately jumped on it!
- Only then did I begin to design the structure for the keywords I would use for the various tiers on the new site. This had to be pleasing for the search engines but also the 4 wheelers visiting the site.
- As soon as the site was up - I started to draw traffic using various means available - link exchange, forum discussions and even Pay Per Clicks - like Google Adwords.
- Since the start of the site I have continued to add content to the site - writing articles with lots of pictures to make the site as valuable as possible. This will of course be an ongoing process.
- The concept for the art site didn’t show nearly as much potential for profits. Icelandic art is not that popular and there where a LOT of sites dealing with this theme. Still it was a natural step since my wife had been running a gallery with four other women.
- We decided on the domain name Art-Iceland.com and started building it.
- Soon it became obvious that changes were necessary in the running of the gallery. We decided to give it a shot and did all the work needed to establish it.
- Still on the first year of operation we know that the web site is a tremendous support and this will be good if we give it some time and effort.
The Best Web Hosting Tool I Use
Well it is actually more than a tool. More like a guideline for BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS. It supports the most difficult part by outlining four simple steps - necessary for true and lasting SUCCESS on the internet:
C -> T -> P -> M
C - Content building is the foundation
T - Traffic comes from good content, link building and other techniques
P - PREsell visitors by supplying quality information and friendly atmosphere
M - Monetize as the final step
…and then giving me the set of tools to support every step of the way. You really have to see it to believe it.
To get you started on your own web efforts and get a feel for the quality of the SiteSell products, there are two e-books I suggest you read.
They are both FREE and can safely be downloaded from the 4×4OffRoads.com site.
The first one proved a real eye opener for me. You can read more about it and the 10 day Affiliate Masters Course right here. Even if you don’t end up using any of SiteSell’s products this is a good read. The 200 pages provide a good overview of the ideas you will need to grasp. The how’s and the whys. I’m sure it will help you as it did me, in finding your niche and building a site that sells. Take your time to read it and grasp a fuller picture of the necessary steps.
Finally I have also set up a page where you can get other books by Key Evoy. Go to my Winzip Downloads page to collect them all!
P.S. The fact is that this is NOT the only SBI site doing well on the internet. If you take a look at the results page you can find lots and lots of successful sites and of course 4×4OffRoads.com under Hobbies!
Click Here For Information About SBI…
Popularity: 48% [?]
SBI & Success FAQ
I frequently get a number of questions about SBI and success. Here is an example and my response.
First Name: Jamie
Last Name: G.
Subject: SBI and success
Message: Hi, I believe that I contacted you before but never got a response. I have been trying to find out more about others that use SBI. I want to create my own site but am not sure if I have the right mix to do so.Were you the first in your niche?Do you advertise with Adwords?Do you have a good income with Adsense?
I am curious about how people get started and make it be profitable.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Jamie
Were you the first in your niche?
If you mean I was the first using SBI in the 4×4 niche, the answer is no. And there certainly where a lot of other off roading sites.
Do you advertise with Adwords?
Yes - of course. AdWords is a great way to get traffic.
Do you have a good income with Adsense?
My AdSense income has been pretty good through the years. It needs good traffic though.
Popularity: 37% [?]
My Definition of Success
Meeting all the other SBIers on the SBI cruise has been fantastic. Each one has such a unique view of the world and their part in it. And as you can imagine they are extremely friendly and Ken is so open and insightful - just as in the SBI forums.
The first evening the SBI group met at the Poolside bar on the eleventh deck. Ken had suggested we talk about success and our definition of it. Well… I am a SLOW thinker and been thinking about this and decided to write down my definition of success.
My Definition Of Success:
-I have enough hands off income to pay all expenses
-I live in a house I own
-I continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom and help my family do the same
-I make mistakes and use them to change course
-I keep fit and healthy
-I add value to the world
-I control my own time and can choose to sleep late whenever I like
-I meet interesting people and learn more from each one
-I outsource things that starts to look like work
-I collect experience and share by writing and publishing
It would be interesting if you have opinions on this…
Popularity: 42% [?]
SBI! Hosted Websites
Hosting your site at SiteSell using SBI! or SiteBuildIt! is a little bit different than ordinary or off the shelf hosting. With an SBI! hosted website you have a complete package with all the tools necessary to build your business. Everything from keyword research and brainstorming to a full featured and highly popular site (as well as profitable).
Results
Here is a list of successful SBI! hosted websites. Check out the list and notice the diversity of themes and the impressive Alexa ranking.
Case Studies
A handful of case-studies for SBI! hosted websites even have a more in-depth review.
The case-studies are:
- Infopreneurs/Information-Publishing
- Work At Home Moms (WAHM)
- E-goods Creators/Sellers
- Travel Site
- Hard Goods Creators/Sellers
- Sales & Rental Agents/Reps/Distributors
- Affiliates
- Service Businesses
- Retirement
- Referrers/Finders
- Existing Online Businesses/E-commerce Sites
- Network Marketers/Multi-Level Marketers
- Web Professionals
- Local Businesses/Professions
- Net Auction Sellers
Here is a video from an enthusiastic SBIer
My SBI! Hosted Websites
And of course you can look at my sites that are built using SBI!
Popularity: 40% [?]
SiteSell Launches Infin It!
SiteSell is now launching an important addition that will open up almost infinite possibilities for expansion and growth of SiteBuildIt! sites.
As you know I use SBI and recommend for anyone that wants to build a solid business foundation on the web.
Thank YOU Ken and team for making this available!
The only problem I have now is from the dreaded “gadgets abundance syndrome”. Much too hard to choose from all the possibilities.
Bill wrote an excellent article on integrating Wordpress. I know from experience the painstaking detail he has gone through. And the integration he shows looks flawless!
Alf also wrote an enlightening article on the phpBB forums integration. It gives a different angle on the integration possibilities. It doesn’t have to be too complicated.
Because I have to get going for the SBI Cruise. I probably will have to wait with launching until I get back. Luckily I can use the time as I relax in the sun - zipping on a cool pina colada and dipping my toes into the swimming pool to think about and select the best route for my sites.
From Ken’s announcement:
Infin It!, the module that allows you to add a WordPress or TypePad blog, or a forum, or a store, or… just about anything as a subdomain of your site, is now LIVE!
You’ll find it just beside MX It! in the Activity Center section of Site Central’s BusinessCenter.
Infin It! opens up the SBI! architecture and lets you extend your SBI! site functionality with modules that are not “core” to C -> T -> P -> M, but that may be important to some SBIers.
For example, only a small percentage of SBIers may actually want to full-blog. Now they can.
Ditto for running your own forums.
Or putting up a store.
It’s a little like the “long-tail” of modules. While only a small percentage of SBIer may want to use any particular functionality, when you add everyone together, I expect Infin It! to meet a whole bunch of SBIers’ special needs and wants.
—–SIDEBAR—–
“Infin It!” is the perfect name due to its
near-infinite possibilities — thanks, Erwin!
—–SIDEBAR—–
Claim your SBI subscription here.
Popularity: 54% [?]
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