alaahassan

Why I Haven't Blogged for Over 30 Days

February 8, 2015 by alaahassan

It’s pretty simple. I’ve been very busy!

It’s not an excuse but a valid reason.

I must admit though that I’ve been really productive over the past 3 months (since November 2013) and I’m so proud of myself. It’s been all about execution. Lots of projects, many new clients and a very busy time at iNetVideo.com.

I haven’t blogged much not because I didn’t know what to write about but because I’ve been creating lots of content for different purposes.

Here’s a list of what I’ve been busy & having fun with:

1. Busy Creating my Blogging Course

In November, a friend of mine recommended that I launch a blogging course. At first, I wasn’t really up for the challenge. I was really busy with the holiday shopping season at iNetVideo as well as many projects going on.

Nonetheless, I decided to launch the course because it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time but never did. It was a great opportunity since I put my reputation on the line by having people signup ahead of creating the course. By doing so, it really pushed me to get it done before the end of the year.

I created 10 modules to help people launch & maintain a successful blog. I was busy writing premium content for each module. You can learn more about my online blogging course.

2. Busy Creating my Personal Branding Course

It took me 14 days to create the Personal blogging course and I didn’t stop there. People messaged me wanting to learn how to create a website for personal branding. I still had 3 weeks left before the end of the year and really enjoyed the rush in creating the blogging course.

So I decided to launch a Personal Branding Course where I teach people how to boost their personal brand online. I show them how to create a plan, create a website, create a social media presence, create a simple blog and much more.

I was busy creating 7 modules with lots of bonus material. I recruited around 10 students using my social media network and had them take the course for free in exchange for feedback and for taking part in case studies. I also created a Private Facebook Group for Tribe members. It’s a great way to stay in touch with the community on social media.

Learn more about my Personal Branding Online Course

3. Busy Building my eCommerce Training Academy

I’m sure you already know that I’m very passionate about eCommerce (if you didn’t, now you know!). In 2013, I decided to launch the eCommerce Training Academy where we help online retailers improve conversions and boost profits in their online business.

I decided to create the academy after working with many clients through my conversion rate optimization agency, eCommerceHackers.com. Provide simple to follow courses using video & screencasts as well as webinars.

I created passionTribe to help individuals and the eCommerce Training Academy to help businesses.

4. Busy With Hosting Online Webinars

One thing I’ve been enjoying a lot these weeks is hosting webinars. I decided to focus on them to generate new leads for the academy and my agency.

Each webinar is made specifically for online retailers to help them find ways of improving their online business. They’re short and free to attend. I’ve been hosting 2-3 eCommerce webinars a month and I started making the recordings available to those who subscribed to them.

5. Busy With My New Agency Clients

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been getting many new clients for my agency. We specialize in ecommerce advising and conversion rate optimization for online retailers.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is growing and online retailers need it more than ever. I’ve been really active in the eCommerce community through social media & speaking at conferences. I’m also getting lots of awareness as an eCommerce Advisor.

Since I’ve been creating lots of content for the academy, I’m seeing that it’s helping me establish myself as an expert within the industry. I really enjoy helping retailers and decided to do more of it using webinars, courses and social media networking.

So there you have it. Those are the reasons why I haven’t blogged for the past 30 days. Instead, I’ve been focusing on creating premium content for my community which I believe is much more productive & valuable.

What are you busy building right now?

5 Unusual Places Where I Do Most of My Thinking

January 7, 2015 by alaahassan

As an entrepreneur, we deal with the constant need of accomplishing new things.

Seth Godin defines an Entrepreneur as someone who builds something bigger than himself and beyond his or her own capacity. I’m one of those people 🙂

One thing I enjoy the most in being that type of person is the process of getting new ideas. Ideas for projects, business improvements and anything to help me build my vision. One thing for sure, I’m constantly thinking throughout the day while doing all sorts of tasks. It’s what keeps me going.

Last week, I asked my brother-in-law where does he get most of his thinking done? He responds without any hesitation…..”in the car!”

Now that got me thinking for myself……where do I do most of my thinking?

Here’s my list:

1. In the Shower

I tend to take 2 showers a day, one in the morning and one after the gym or work in the evening. The morning one is usually longer since I’m half asleep. I can honestly say that it’s my favorite time to get most of my thinking done. I’m alone, no one is bothering me and I’m fully relaxed from the warm water.

I use this time to also plan my day. I prioritize a list of tasks in my head on what I need to get done by the end of the day. I also think about what I’m going to eat for breakfast and lunch.

2. At the Gym

Recently, I’ve been more active and finally got back into the habit of going to the gym at least 3 times a week. I spend about 1 hour during each visit and man do I think during that time!!!!

I usually start with a 25 min cardio session on the treadmill. I do it while watching a movie and listening to a podcast. Even though I’m multi-tasking, I still get lots of thinking done while on the treadmill.

Towards the end of my workout, I spend some time in the jacuzzi and steam sauna. Those 2 places allow me to think about my whole day. I evaluate what have I accomplished so far and what will I do in the evening.

3. In the Car

I don’t drive much but recently, my wife and I have decided to own one car instead of two. Now, we have to spend some extra time together in the car driving to work. Even though I live close to my business, I love the fact that I can spend 10-15 minutes in the car because I listen to all my favorite podcasts during this time. I do the same thing when picking up my daughter from school.

While listening to podcasts, I get inspired in improving my own businesses. I honestly don’t care about traffic anymore because I’m being very productive when stuck in it.

4. Cutting the Lawn

About 2 years ago, we bought a new home with a beautiful backyard. That’s when I got introduced to the world of lawn care. I never thought I would enjoy cutting the lawn but you know what, I really do!

I even started smoking a cigar while doing it and I love it! Lots of thinking happens during that time and sometimes I wish I had a bigger lawn.

5. Hiking

Last year, my wife and I decided to start hiking as a hobby. We usually hike no more than 3 hours. During that time, we think together.

We talk about family, health and work. We plan our upcoming days, weeks and months. I really miss it since it’s now winter and we haven’t done it during the cold season yet. I enjoy being part of nature.

Some great thinking happens during that time since we’re disconnected from our daily life. Sometimes we bike or even canoe. It’s simply an amazing time to reflect on your life.

So there you have it. This is where I get most of my ideas, thinking and inspiration in anything I do.

Your Turn:

Where and when do you get most of your thinking done?

My Brand New Affordable Blogging Course Is Now Open

December 11, 2014 by alaahassan

It’s true when they say that when you put your mind into something and you schedule it, it gets done?

Well, I followed that advice and guess what? It worked!

3 weeks ago, I decided to launch a blogging for fun challenge after one of my friends pushed me in doing so. I wasn’t really ready for it but I still decided to go ahead and do it! I planned it quickly and scheduled it to start the following Monday.

Here I am now, after opening the challenge to 10 students, my blogging course is now open to the public. But there’s 2 catches:

Registration is open until December 31st 2014 at midnight.
Only 20 available spots!

If you’re still struggling with launching your blog, this is course is perfect for you!

How Seth Godin Inspired Me To Create passionTribe

December 4, 2014 by alaahassan

passionTribe was truly inspired by me reading many of Seth Godin’s books. One video that started it is this one below. Enjoy it! If you love it a lot, then you should also watch this video that will change the way you do business.

My November 2014 Blog Traffic Report

December 3, 2014 by alaahassan

Highlight of The Month

What an incredible month! I’ve been tweaking my passionTribe strategy from all angles. I decided to add a community component to my blog and it’s called The Private Tribe. This has led me to launch my first online course-“10 Days of Blogging for Fun Challenge“. I recruited the first 10 people to take part in it and so far, very happy with the results. I will be opening the course to the public in the month of December and sharing my experience with you through a blog post.

Something I Learned This Month

There’s nothing more valuable than listening to your readers (customers). Sometimes we overcomplicate things without even realizing (I do that a lot). This month, a friend suggested that I launch a blogging course to help people get started. Honestly, I was planning on launching one, but figured it’s better to do it in 2015. I needed more time to plan and prepare the content. This time, I decided to reduce the amount planning and thinking and get something started immediately. Thanks to him, I launched the blogging for fun challenge successfully. Create products/services that your customers need and not that you think they need. Listen to them. That’s what I did and so grateful for it.

Traffic Details

The main reason why you see an big increase in pageviews is mainly due to my membership area. As well, I launched a private forum and that has helped me bring back many return users to my blog. I also started experimenting with some email marketing but only for my blogging course. I plan on launching a bi-weekly newsletter in December.

Total Visits  842   +18.59%
Total Visitors  513 -3.53%
Total pageviews 2,510   +132.84%
Pages per visit 2.98 +96.34%

Top posts

Top 3 Traffic Sources

Social +14.23%
Direct -20.52%
Organic +14.49%

Top 3 Social Network Sources

Facebook +20.31%
Linkedin +70.59%
Twitter -53.85%

Tools I’ve Discovered & Love Using

Awesome Screenshot. I don’t know how I can go about browsing the internet without using this amazing screenshot tool. Whenever I discover a problem on my website or client’s website, I take a screenshot of it. I can then add comments to it and save it. Such an amazing tool!

Picmonkey.com A great tool to help you modify images and spice them up for your blog or social media efforts.

Feedly. My favorite curation tool. I use it to read all my favorite blogs. I don’t have to visit any of them. The tool grabs all the latest posts from all the blogs a I follow in one central location. Saves so much time!

Online Communities or Blogs I’ve Discovered & You Should Follow

I started following The Muse Blog – Career Advice. I love the way they write their easy to read blog posts and they always choose interesting topics. I share lots of their content on my own Facebook Page.

A Podcast I Discovered & You Should Listen To

I discovered Michael Hyatt a very long time ago and so happy to have done so. You should start listening to his amazing blog post called This is Your Life. Recently, he changed the layout where now, he offers a video version as well. I love listening to it because it helps me improve my personal brand and continuously learn about new leadership and productivity skills. He is indeed my virtual mentor.

Let me know if you want me to share any other data that you feel will be useful for you.

I truly hope this inspires you to start or keep blogging!

How I Created My First Black Friday Deal for My Services

November 28, 2014 by alaahassan

This morning, I woke up to an inbox full of emails about Black Friday. Some were good while others were simply a total waste of time. I did finally get my copy of Scrivener for $20, a tool I plan on using to create and manage my blog writing.

All those emails made me think: Why not use this opportunity to test out my own Black Friday promotion for my eCommerce advising services.

I am aware that online business owners are very busy right now and barely have time to scratch their heads. Some might be planning their 2015 projects while others might be dealing with many business challenges such as under-performing marketing campaigns or dealing with lower conversion rates.

Why not offer them a deal that they can use during this holiday season and also take advantage of in the new year to help them improve their online business?

Here’s what I did

I usually charge $150/hr for my VIP Advising sessions. I decided to lower the price to $75/hr until midnight of Nov 28, 2014. I also offered people a maximum of 5 hours that they can buy and bank for later use.

Here’s the email message I sent out this morning using GetResponse, (my email software)

Hi [[firstname]]

It seems that everyone is having some sort of Black Friday deal going on.

If you’re like me, I buy certain things I might not need now but will use in the coming months.

That’s when I got my Aha! moment and decided to create for you an exclusive offer.

This promotion will end tonight at midnight (Nov 28 2014).

This is your chance to get 1 hour of VIP eCommerce advising for only $75 USD. You will save 50%! I usually charge $150/hr for this package.

You can buy up to a maximum of 5 hours in bulk – one time. Great way to start your 2015 planning.

All you have to do is reply to this email and I will send you an invoice for the amount of hours you need.

As always, if you have any questions, I’m here to help.

Cheers!

– Alaa

As you can see, it’s a very simple email and with easy to follow instructions.

This offer not only is targeted for people within my own list, which most of them are online business owners or have a website of some sort, but also has a sense of urgency (expires at midnight).

I made the offer irresistible not only from a pricing perspective, saving them 50%, but also from the flexibility aspect of being able to use it for the new year.

If you provide services, you should try these types of promotions. Don’t just sit there and watch everyone taking advantage. Do the same!

What type of Black Friday promotions have worked for you?