Fly on the E-Commerce Cyberwall

Not much to show for today
I checked out my son's site. His design work, as expected, was outstanding. What surprised me was how much he's grown in his copywriting. He's always been very formal and businesslike in what he write.s But this was downright good copywriting. Now if he can just get the right kind of traffic through there...

Otherwise, I got the rest of the main navigation pages created and another article ready for One Stop Web Support (although I would have hoped to have gotten all that done in a lot less than the four hours it actually took). And I started studying materials for one of the key programs whose products I plan to recommend. Very impressive, well beyond the high opinion I already had of their products. But more on my thoughts about them tomorrow. Tonight I actually plan to cut this off and go to bed.
Stay focused,
Jeff

Unexpected complications
The big task I thought I had just a little cleanup work left on turned into a whole day project when I discovered that the software had misread the feed and mixed up all of the links. So I had to go in and check all 287 entries against the original feed to make sure each one was accurate.

Needless to say, I was bummed. The project had already gone over what I had originally estimated and now manually checking every link doubled the time it took. Lesson to be learned - never assume that just because you have an idea for speeding up a task, it will actually go faster. You've got to estimate extra time for unexpected problems.

At least I didn't let the monotony of the extra work get me down. I slipped my favorite "Jars of Clay" CD into the computer and found myself really boppin' along. Plus, once it was done, I had a feeling of accomplishment from getting it done. I'll tell you, a massive project like that is a lot nicer to look BACK on than FORWARD to.

So I head off to bed tonight feeling relieved to be able to say that the conversion project is now COMPLETELY done, and feeling excited that I can put some concentrated time in on upgrading One Stop Web Support tomorrow to a solid starting point that I can upload and build from there into what I envision it eventually being. Who knows, maybe I can even upload tomorrow - if no unexpected complications rear their ugly heads.

One thing for sure, though, I need to carve out a little time to assess my son Jon's upgraded site for his freelance design work. He'd like my input. I had a chance to glance through it when it first went up, but I need to take a closer look to give him decent feedback on it.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. Until then...
Stay focused
Jeff

A day for looking back
Not as productive of a day today, but a day for getting one big project (almost) out of the way. I converted MasterVisions' link directory over to the automated tool, LinkManager, that Mark will now be using. The pages aren't as controllable and, therefore, not as visually appealing as the old pages, but the ease of organizing link partners and updating pages should be worth it.

Now that it's up, adding new link partners will be a one-step process instead of entering them into a database, and then copying that info into DreamWeaver to update the web pages.

But spending a day with all those links brings back a lot of memories and a lot of thoughts about the directions link exchanging has gone in the past three years I've worked with them.

I came across our link to the first site I exchanged links with. Wow. How far we've come from that first link to now when we have nearly three hundred link partners.

And I came across sites that, when I first started out, were link popularity powerhouses that I requested link exchanges with and felt I had really accomplished something special when they linked back.

Thinking back on how thrilled I was with those "conquests," I felt kind of sad to see how much my feelings about exchanging links has changed. Link exchanging has become the part of web promotion that I like least, and that's probably an understatement.

Yeah, I probably take it too personally when I get a request from someone who seems manipulative or conniving in their dealings and I probably am a little too quick to grow suspicious. But I'm just so tired of the game it's turned into.

Most webmasters are honest in exchanging links. But the bad apples have really soured me on the whole thing. The ones who build a huge link exchange directory on one theme and wipe it out and start a brand new one on another theme, hoping that their link partners from the first theme will never check back to discover that their link has been removed.

I get tired of dealing with the cry-babies who write back in righteous indignation when I decline a link exchange request, demanding that I reconsider and add a wire welding equipment category to my home decor directory because "wire welding and home decor are so relevant to each other." Huh?

I looked back on the not-so-relevant categories that I did add in the early days when I was hungry to add as many links as I could, and found myself wishing I had kept the directory more focused back then. But then again, the search engine probably would not consider the site as a whole as authoritative as they do now is by the search engines if I had turned those links down.

And I wonder whether I've become a hypocrite for playing the link manipulation game even as I rail against it, or if I've just become a self-righteous stick-in-the-mud for decrying a manipulation that is so interwoven into the fabric of search engine optimization that nothing but a severe search engine algorithm change is going to have any effect on the way things are.

I guess I feel like my "white hat" is tainted a bit by the game. I've always held the philosophy that you create sites that are exactly what the search engines would consider good sites—relevant content, no tricks—and you'll hold steady rankings. And that's proven true. MasterVisions' rankings have grown and stayed up there even during some of the severe algorithm changes of the past few years that have sent the "black hat seo's" scrambling.

But the one area where I've seen my philosopy in conflict with my actions is in exchanging links and it bugs me. It's hard to turn down a good quality link exchange with an off-topic site. And it's hard for me to justify to myself accepting a link exchange with an off-topic site that offers a really great link. Yet the link exchange world forces that choice on us every day.

At any rate, I have mixed feelings. Updating the link directory is one of those routine things that I will turn over to Mark to do with as he wishes. Mostly, I'll be glad to see it out of my life (at least until I need to set another client up with a link exchange program).

But it's nice to look back on this directory and see how far I've brought it. Now, three years later, MasterVisions is in the same league with some of the link popularity powerhouses I looked up to in the beginning. It will be nice to leave it in Mark's hands, but I'm proud of how far it's come. And it's certainly been a long, strange journey to get where it is today.
Best wishes,
Jeff

Another great day!
I can't believe how much happened today. Some unexpected help from my son, Ben, bought me an extra half day of work completed.

It was actually kind of funny. I hadn't planned on the extra help today, so I was scrambling to set up work to keep him going. But it meant that, between us, we made major progress on my site (One Stop Web Support), the site I needed to finish up for Mark (Lovin' Log Furniture), and the conversion of my link exchange database into a format that will upload into the LinkManager tool that Mark will handle more easily in-house.

Although I actually got around to my blog earlier than I have recently, I'm afraid I still have no deep insights on starting a business tonight. I'm still weary from the past few nights of too little sleep.

I'll throw out a couple of shallow thoughts, though. First, starting out is a LOT of hard work. Second, it's GREAT to have an extra hand pitching in. Granted, Ben's help was offered somewhat grudgingly and definitely without enthusiasm for the boring, repetitive tasks I asked of him, but just having the opportunity to share the load with someone else made for a much brighter day.
Best wishes to all!
Jeff

Feels good!
The last few days have been taken up with projects for Mark. Today was a half and half day where I did about half of my work for MasterVisions and half on my One Stop Web Support.

It felt good. I've been getting a little concerned lately over the lack of progress I've made on One Stop, but today I got a few articles ready to upload as soon as the new framework is in place.

And add to that the fact that most of the project work was of a learning nature instead of routine and I've had a great day!

I'll have to admit I've never really taken full advantage of the autoresponder and coupon functions I worked on today in the shopping cart the MasterVisions sites have. But they're a breeze to set up and they should encourage more repeat buying.

Sigh. I've got to get into the habit of starting this earlier in the evening. I always plan on getting a little deeper into talking about the process of setting up business, but 11:30 at night is too late to get into anything deeply—other than sleep.
Best wishes!
Jeff

Coming or going?
Mark and I talked a lot of strategy today along with me training him some on maintaining the website. But there's still no greater clarity on where I stand in relation to future assignments. He wants to take things more in-house, yet there are so many new directions he'd like to have me pursue for him.

The funny thing is, I think I'm starting to make the mental break from working solely for him. As we discussed one idea for a promising niche market site, I found myself thinking to myself, "Aw, I was hoping he'd drop that idea. I was starting to develop some cool ideas of what I'd do with that site myself."

But we'll see what comes of it. I did come home feeling a little drained with all we jammed into work in his office today. I got in an hour and a half of work at home, before I decided I'd spent enough time on computer today and actually spent a little time with my family (watching a DVD with my son). Got to do more of that. What's the purpose of working if it isn't to make life better for them? And how do I make it better for them if I'm always tucked away on the computer?

I could probably launch into a long philosophical discussion of how easy it is to subsume yourself into your work if you allow it to become your identity. But I'd be doing exactly what I was preaching against. So I'll let it go and head off to bed. I must not become nothing more than my work. (Gotta keep telling myself that!)

Pleasant times to you all!
Jeff

A day of loose ends
I start training Mark on maintaining his sites tomorrow, so today has been a day of tying up loose ends. I'd still like to get that third site up and running for him, the log furniture site that will be his first venture into carrying products other than his own. Other than that, it's been getting things in order for a smooth transition and setting things up so he and I can figure out just what parts of what I've been doing for him will continue.

I had hoped to get a little work in on fleshing out One Stop Web Support a little more, but I guess that will wait until Tuesday. It just makes me a little nervous putting what is essentially my source of future income on hold.

Well, we'll see what tomorrow holds.
Jeff