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In the first video for Traffic Secrets 2.0, John Reese discusses one of the most overlooked elements of driving traffic and building visitor loyalty and the missing piece is developing software and tools.

John Reese reveals some very precise examples of what you can create. Ideas such as weight loss sites have a tool that can track the progress of people who are trying to lose weight or a golf score tracker for a golf site.

Having a web-based application attached to your site WILL get people coming back to your site and best of all what it will do is provide you with growing user generated content.

Does working towards building repeat visitors sound like a familiar strategy?

Yeah, it’s called VEO, Visitor Experience Optimization. If you develop a useful tool then aren’t you building customer loyalty and for those that have read The VEO Report will know, repeat visitors is a quality factor that Google monitors when positioning websites in the search results.

Now go take a look at the type of tools your competitors are providing for their visitors and let your creativity guide you into creating an application that will get your visitors pumped up about your site.

If you haven’t seen the John Reese Traffic Secrets videos yet then go check them out right now (click here)

Is it time to create a new buzz phrase on the net???

How about this:

Software applications are king

While I always appreciate the fact that I don’t have to get up and go to the office everyday because I am the master of my own destiny, I don’t always fully appreciate what being financially independent really means.

My friends, it hit hard today what being independent means.

Before launching my affiliate marketing business back in 2001 and subsequently quitting my last “real job” working as a UNIX Systems Administrator and Oracle DBA at BC Hydro I made friendships with a lot of really nice people there.

One of those very nice people was Donald Keays. Donald was one of the sweetest, kindest and most approachable people you could ever meet. I considered Donald to be a mentor that showed me the ropes of working a high demand technical job in a union environment.

Here is the email I received today from a former colleague and friend of mine:

Subject Line: FW: In Memoriam: Donald Keays
I regret to announce that Donald Keays passed away on Saturday, April 26th at the age of 65 after a lengthy illness.

Donald worked with IT Services and its predecessors for sixteen years. For much of that time, he provided infrastructure support at BC Hydro’s Burnaby Mountain System Control Centre. Over the past six years, Donald was Primary UNIX Administrator at Powerex, reporting to Chris Rice.

The following announcement appeared in the North Shore News:

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Donald Montague Keays on April 26th, 2008 in North Vancouver. Donald is survived by his wife, Jeanette, and his children; Gordon, Marietta and Clairessa, his mother, Isabel, and his siblings Joane, Lois, Phil and his many nieces and nephews. Donald had a love of the outdoors and his spirit will rest in the tranquil surroundings of his Cariboo property. His upbeat and friendly demeanor will continue to be cherished in our hearts. The service will be held at First Memorial Services, 1505 Lillooet Road in North Vancouver at 10am on Saturday, May 3rd, 2008. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.

Chris had this to say about Donald:
Donald’s gentle nature, his hearty laugh, disarming character and down-to-earth personality made him a perfect fit for the unique demands of the Powerex environment. Respected by his peers, valued by his customers, Donald quickly earned back the warmth he radiated to others.

My fondest memories of Donald were the times we spent looking at his pictures, regaling me with tales of his Cariboo property, truly one of his loves. He inspired me with his passion, and I will remember him fondly.
I extend my condolences to Donald’s family and to those of you who knew and worked with him.
When I look back at those that inspired me on my path to entrepreneurial freedom I sometimes forget what were seemingly “daydream” conversations about a better life and being free from a job, now that I see Donald Keays has passed I can’t help but reflect on the conversations I had with him while working on UNIX projects up on Burnaby Mountain, in particular the Grid Operations Upgrade Project.

I remember Donald talking about a job not being everything and this was at a time when I was just exploring the idea of “doing something on the internet”.

Donald talked about his plans for retirement in a few short years and he encouraged me to pursue my dreams of becoming free.

It deeply saddens me to hear of Donald Keay’s passing however I am very grateful to have made his acquaintance during my time at BC Hydro.

It is news such as Donald’s passing that remind to be very grateful for being free from a job.

Donald - You have touched my spirit and you have made the world a better place. I am thankful for having known you.

May God bless your soul my friend!

Why pursue your own business?

 What could be stopping you from achieving great financially wealth could actually be the pursuit of money itself.  Read on to see my real life experience take on this bold statement. 

Ever since launching my internet marketing business in 2001 I have enjoyed the freedom that comes with “being my own man”.

I am NEVER a victim to, “Colin, you need to work late tonight so cancel your personal plans and hangout with us losers at the office”

Now I can whole-heartedly call them “losers” in the nicest way possible. For my former co-workers reading this, I am not taking a personal jab at you.

I am however taking a jab at the “powers that be”. You know, the stinkin boss that says you must cancel your personal plans to do what’s best for the company.

Well, I own my own business and what’s important in my business is my personal well-being and that involves time with my family so it’s a given, since I am my own boss, business never interferes with family commitments.

Basically I get to call the shots not only in my day to day life but I get to call the shots in the hours I work.

That alone is well worth pursuing your own business endeavor, now do take note that I haven’t talked about the earnings potential of running your own business.

That’s important to take note of because I have earned MASSIVE amounts of money and it is not the money that motivates me, it is the time I get to spend with my young daughters while they are young.

Yeah, you have probably heard a bunch of the rich “assholes” talk about money not really mattering and that it’s the time that money provides for being free to spend with those close to you.

So, while money from a source that is not a 9 to 5 job is necessary to make this possible, the good news is that all you have to do is replace your current income with a business of your own.

So while I turned a net profit in excess of $55,000 last month, I didn’t need that much to really enjoy my daughters. In fact I regret inflating my style of living because my current income needs to make ends meet are around $10,000 per month.

If I didn’t increase my lifestyle the way I have, I would have only needed $4500 per month to sustain my cost of living.

But… Oh no…. I wanted more stuff… Bigger stuff… Bigger things…

Guess what folks, the novelty of expensive cars and big TV’s and all that other stuff wears off after about a week of owning them.

Stuff doesn’t matter, living free does.

So perhaps that might change your thinking about what’s possible and that to be truly successful does not equate to “he who dies with the most toys wins”

In fact, if you are thinking along those lines GIVE YOUR HEAD A SHAKE RIGHT NOW.

Stuff doesn’t matter, time with loved ones does

If you are a toy hunter, then I encourage you to follow a new mantra.

“He who dies with the most time spent with loved ones wins”

Hopefully this short post has been insightful and encouraging to you.