Alaa Hassan

The Most Passionate eCommerce Coach & Advisor

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The Worst Thing You Can Do Is Quit Trying

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Do not quit

It breaks my heart whenever I hear someone recently or wanting to quit.

Quit what exactly? Anything really. Just about anything.

Quitting is like losing hope.  Quitting is like giving up.  Quitting is……such a negative action.  But sometimes, it can be positive such as quitting smoking.

I just don’t like it.  There’s nothing wrong with failing at something but that doesn’t mean you should quit.

Some of you might not agree with me because sometimes, you really have no choice but to quit because what we’re doing is simply not working.

How to Avoid Quitting

In this situation, I would consider the following:

  • Re-evaluate your goals & objectives
  • Re-evaluate your strategy
  • Try getting some guidance from someone who achieved what you’re trying to do
  • Hire a professional (advisor, consultant, coach) to help
  • Hire an outside company (agency) to help

See! You have a lot options other than simply quitting.

But I do want to be honest with you.
Sometimes, I just feel like quitting myself. But when I do, I take a break from whatever it is I’m doing so that I can think straight.  It helps me reflect back and remember why I decided to do whatever it is I’m trying to do in the first place.  Try it yourself! It works 🙂

Tell me, what have you quit on recently? Why?

Why You Should Observe Your Customers

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Importance of Observing Your Customers

 

Today I spent over 6 hours watching videos!

Some of you might believe I’m one lucky person but guess what, those weren’t Hollywood movies or Youtube videos.  They are recordings of users actually shopping around a website.

Whenever I do any conversion research for a client’s website, I provide them with 10 videos (approx. 20 minutes each) of actual people who are getting paid to browse the site and perform specific tasks I’ve setup for them.

Users tasks include:

  • Describe your first impression
  • Try searching for a product
  • Find out how much is shipping
  • Buy something

and so on.

When I gather 10 tests, I start watching each one while taking notes of all that is being said and whatever I see worthy of noting when observing how they’re using the site.

Why is it important to watch customers?

The ultimate goal is to eliminate bottlenecks (friction).

Some benefits include:

  • Figure out what’s stopping people from doing what you want them to do on your site
  • Improve how they use the website by updating some design or processes
  • Remove any distractions

User testings are very important and must be carefully planned out using the right tools &asking the right questions to testers.

Gather all the results, analyze and start tweaking changes & most never forget to test!

Do Webinars Actually Work?

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Alaa Hassan is testing a Webinar

I’m sure you asked yourself the same question, right?  I’ve been asking myself for months.

But this time, I decided to give it a shot and actually launch a webinar.

Why am I going to launch a webinar?

Other than the fact that I love trying out new things, I want to know…

  • How to launch a webinar? What kind of software & equipment do I need?
  • What type of skills do you need to have?
  • What should I expect to gain from webinars? (visibly, extra business…)

I will be blogging about this whole experience.

I already launched 2 webinars so far and loving the results!

  1. LIVE Q&A Webinar with Alaa Hassan
  2. Does Your Website Suck? LIVE Website Reviews with Alaa Hassan

Stay Tuned!

 

The Complete Guide for Personal Branding

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personal branding blog posts

Since 2011, I’ve been working on improving my personal brand.

I had discovered Michael Hyatt, author of Platform – Get Noticed In A Noisy World and podcaster, who inspired me to focus on my personal platform.

I will be honest with you, don’t expect to see immediate results from your efforts.  It takes time and dedication in order to get results.

Nonetheless, nothing is impossible.  I will be blogging about my own experience and helping you understand important things about developing your personal brand (online & offline).

My Personal Branding Blog Posts

  1. What is a Personal Brand?
  2. 9 Benefits of a Personal Brand You Need to Know
  3. How Taking a Selfie Can Ruin Your Personal Brand
  4. The Ultimate List of Disadvantages of Having a Personal Brand
  5. The Ultimate List of Benefits of Having a Personal Brand
  6. 10 Must-Read Books About Personal Branding

More blog posts about personal branding tips will be added as I write them.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me

Try Quitting Coffee…What a difference it makes!

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quit-drinking-coffee

I honestly forgot how hard it is to quit coffee (or caffeine in general).  I did it last year for 3 months and I felt amazing but since then, I got back into it as a social coffee drinker but guess what, I became more than a social drinker.

It’s been 4 days so far since I stopped drinking anything with caffeine and here’s what happened so far:

  • I feel tired by 2pm & I need a quick 15min nap.
  • I drink more water now since the coffee mug is no longer on my desk
  • Since I wake up at 6:30am everyday, I feel tired by 9pm.  Now, actually go to bed before 11pm (before, I couldn’t even fall asleep before midnight!)
  • I am less agitated
  • I am not experiencing any digestive issues in the morning.
  • I’m back at the gym working out every morning before work.
  • I simply feel healthier & more relaxed overall.

So far I’ve substituted my coffee drinking habit with:

  • Water
  • Herbal Teas
  • Fruits
  • Nuts

My goal is to actually quit forever.  Let’s see if it’s possible.  Have you tried this?

 

Online Entrepreneurs Need to Learn How To Sleep More

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Learn how to sleep more

Last week, my wife and I said:

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We need to have a good night’s sleep.

It was time for us to change our mattress & I was actually very excited to go shopping for a new one (I will be blogging about that experience soon).

I sit in front of the computer for a minimum of 8 hours a day and constantly connected to the Internet.  Obviously this has a negative effect on my posture and back.  Being continuously connected to the Internet is another problem I’m dealing with.

I noticed that when I lack sleep, I feel grumpy, easily annoyed, lose my patience quickly and just don’t feel like seeing people.

6 hours of sleep is good for some but I think my body needs like 7 hours to be perfectly productive.

I need high levels of energy during the day in order to be able to manage all my projects & I’ve realized it starts with good sleeping habits.

My Plan to Improve My Sleeping Habits

In order for me to enjoy my new mattress, here’s what I plan on doing:

1) Get new pillows
I had no idea how important pillows are, so I got 2 new ones that adjust to my neck and head position.

2) Drink Camomile Tea Before Bedtime
I need to calm my nerves and relax my muscles.  It also helps with digestion.

3) No More Electronics 1 Hour Before Sleeping
Arianna Huffington doesn’t even bring her electronics in the bedroom.  I might do that next but for now, I will try reducing my use of them.

My goal is to enjoy my sleep as much as possible and actually look forward to it.

Have you used any tricks to improve your own sleep?