33+ Top Solo Build It! Solopreneurs Share Their Key Factors for Online Success

33+ Top Solo Build It! Solopreneurs Share Their Key Factors for Online Success

When we asked 60+ marketers, bloggers, CEOs and business owners  about the biggest challenge that today’s solopreneurs face, the lack of a team was mentioned repeatedly.

Building an online business as a solopreneur can indeed be a lonely affair.  There’s no team to brainstorm ideas with. No colleagues to bounce ideas off. No coworkers to ask for advice. Not even someone to lend you a friendly ear when you feel overwhelmed.

The solution to this challenge? Find and join a Mastermind group or a community of like-minded solopreneurs.

Solo Build It! (SBI!) prides itself on having one of the friendliest, most helpful communities of solopreneurs on the Web. But does being part of this community really play such a big role in helping everyday people succeed online?

And what other factors are crucial for achieving online success? We were curious. We wanted to hear it straight from “the source.”

So we asked 200+ of our most successful members the following question:

What are the top 3 ways in which SBI! has contributed to your success?

Being part of the SBI! community ranked second among the key factors, expressed by  statements like…

“SBI! is like a reliable best friend.”

“Overall I feel like we are all family.”

“This kind of support from a company that actually cares about their customers and the community of fellow solopreneurs has been critical to my success.”

Everyone in the community is passionate about a topic AND about building a business around it.

Before we reveal which factor made it to the top of the list, and what other elements contributed most to building a profitable, long-term online business, let’s meet our 33+ survey participants.



Sidebar: You’ll see terms like Brainstorm It!, BlockBuilder, Analyze It! and others mentioned in the answers. These are some of the tools that come with every SBI! subscription. Each tool is explained in depth here, but it’s the lessons that matter.

As a matter of fact, you can replace most of the tools with plugins if you use WordPress. SBI! for WP enables WordPress users to follow the exact same process, and have access to the same great community. You do exactly the same thing — the only difference is that we help you master the WordPress ecosystem, too.

Nathaniel Adie

Nathaniel Adie

www.skateboardhere.com

I love my SBI!.

  1. SBI! taught me what a keyword is and how they make search work on the internet.
  2. SBI! taught me how to build a website around my topic using the most used keywords related to my topic.
  3. SBI! taught me how to analyze the internet traffic to the keywords on my website and make adjustments based on that traffic.
Christine Albury

Christine Albury

www.best-speech-topics.com

SBI! enabled me to build websites despite having ZERO knowledge about sitebuilding when I started. I didn’t even know what Notepad was!

SBI!’s forums gave me a safe place to ask for help and continues to be a source of knowledge – with a great ‘community’ feel – to this day.

I rely on SBI! as the voice of authority throughout every change and development in the online world. If SBI says something is unimportant, I disregard it. If SBI! tells me I need to act on something, I act on it!

Cath Andrews

Cath Andrews

www.raising-happy-chickens.com  

I needed to think about this carefully, because there are so many ways Solo Build It! has contributed to my success, it’s hard to choose just three. Here’s what I’ve boiled it down to.

1. “The whole package”

This is a bit of a cheat, really, because it incorporates so many things. But there’s no doubt that SBI!’s entire process, all of which is included in the cost, is what has made me able to create a successful site (two, actually!).

In 2006, a year before finding SBI!, I tried other platforms and paid a lot of money (as in over £1,000), only to find I had no idea what to do once I’d built a very pretty website. After that I was very cynical about any claims that I could build a successful site at all, let alone overnight.

There were two things I loved about SBI! when I stumbled across it: it told me success took time and effort, and it told me I’d be able to do it with no knowledge of website-building or coding whatsoever. Following the Action Guide and working hard were its two requirements, and both of those I could do.

And did. The entire process is supported by tools. The website templates used to be quite clunky, but it didn’t seem to matter to my site visitors — they still came. And now the templates have developed massively, so they look good and they’re mobile friendly. The blockbuilder way of creating pages is so simple to use yet my pages look amazing.

The help that I had in thinking through my niche using the decision-making tool was second to none. Who knew it would lead me to choose a niche about keeping backyard chickens! It wasn’t in my head when I began, but it was certainly the right decision. That alone is worth its weight in gold.

Brainstorm It!, the tool SBI! gives me to find keywords, is simply brill. Dozens of my pages are ranked in Google’s top 5, many are #1, and my traffic grows daily. The information I can access — dozens of articles about anything and everything to do with building a successful business — are such an amazing resource.

And then there’s the Action Guide…

The Action Guide is a step-by-step process that led me by the hand from no knowledge to a successful online business. Sometimes it frustrated me, and it took time to work through each of its steps — they’re so thorough. It’s the most amazing resource, and it’s what got me there.

Well, it and the forums got me there. So that’s my second choice…

2. The Forums

I can’t begin to tell you how much help the SBI! forums have been. I was wary of going into them because other forums I’d been in were awful — I felt I couldn’t ask questions because I was more or less laughed at for my lack of knowledge.

SBI!’s forums were, and are, different. Their philosophy is “help and be helped,” and it honestly does work that way. People were prepared to spend time helping me when I knew nothing. And now I can pay that back and help out the newbies — and sometimes the “oldies”, too! The amount of knowledge and experience in there is fantastic.

On a personal level, I have made some of my best friends in the forums, and at SBI! conferences. I’ve visited SBIers’ homes and they’ve been to see me in Italy. We talk business and we have fun. There’s no better combination than finding other people with the same mindset to share ideas over a coffee or a meal or the odd glass of Prosecco…

I have to admit, I miss SBI! conferences. They were a great place to meet other like-minded people. But I still go to local SBI! groups where I can — London and Germany — and enjoying the knowledge, expertise and company of other SBIers is a great way to spend a day.

3. Freedom

Success for me is not only to do with making money. It’s to do with more intangible things.

So freedom is my “bottom line” — it’s what all those practical things SBI! gives me has led to, and for me it’s the greatest gift anyone could give to me and to my family.

The freedom to move from the UK to a life in Italy that I thought I could only dream about. The freedom to travel when and where I want to. The freedom to be able to work anywhere. In my previous job I used to dream of being able to work at home and stay in my PJs all day if I wanted, rather than sit in a 2 hour traffic jam on my way to work and back.

Now I work from my home office if I choose to, but often from my sofa, by my pool, in our olive grove, at the beach, in caffès, hotels, different countries — wherever I feel like. I can go back to the UK and spend time with my family whenever I choose — amazingly, I can even help my young nephews with their technology homework!

Such is the power of what SBI! has taught me.

I’m going to cheat again here and add “confidence” to freedom. My previous unsuccessful attempts at building a website had seriously depleted my confidence. I had more or less given up and I was  sure I could never achieve anything online. SBI! — or I should say the people who make up SBI! — helped me regain that confidence and a sense of self-worth, just by making me believe I could do it, by showing me the way — and by being there to celebrate with me when I did.

For that, I will be forever grateful.

Perhaps the most amazing thing for me is that, 12 months ago, SBI! asked me to work for them as a content writer. I was both honoured and astonished. From knowing nothing, I not only built two successful online businesses, I became a member of a company that I have huge respect and admiration for, working with people from all over the world who are at the top of their game (and seriously lovely to work with). I still have to pinch myself sometimes.  

So there you have my three. To be honest, I find it hard to express fully my appreciation of everything that SBI! has given me. But put it this way: I have never been happier or felt more fulfilled in my life.

Marie Augustin

Marie Augustin

www.serendipity-astrolovers.com

1. Brainstorm It!
2. The forums
3. Super superior customer service.

Overall I feel like we are all family. So much so when I land on another SBI! site I leave a note calling them sister site or brother site.

Michael Bates

Michael Bates

www.dyslexia-reading-well.com

Here are the top 3 ways that SBI! has contributed to my success:

1. The 10 DAY Action Guide totally rocks. This helped me hugely. The step by step  process just can’t be beat, and helped grow my confidence that I could really build a site and a business. It’s just so user friendly!  A key point here is that doing things correctly, right from the start, makes a big difference.

Building pages around successful terms, for example, is just soooo important. Very simply SBI! helped me build a very, very strong foundation (SEO, site architecture, link-building suggestions, site name… on and on).

2. The community of SBIers found in the forums. I was always able to find good advice and support on anything from installing a picture slider to marketing my first e-book. Overcoming those problems built more confidence. The SBI! family really does stick together; this makes a BIG difference!

And this is because everyone in the community is passionate about a topic and about building a business around it. This is very different from something like WordPress or GoDaddy (worse) I think.

3. Keeping things simple. In some ways SBI! is less flashy and slick than other similar companies; offering fewer plugins for example, but at the same time this simplicity is a virtue, making things very functional and reliable.

And functional is really important for a webmaster. It’s nice to be slick but more important to be grounded in the fundamentals and to get that right.

Robert Broughton

Robert Broughton

www.quality-assurance-solutions.com

I am honored to be selected.

What are the top 3 ways in which SBI! has contributed to your success?

1. SBI! provides a process to follow that leads to success. Most entrepreneurs who do not use SBI! struggle with finding and following a system that gets results. SBI! is built for entrepreneurs who want to follow a proven system that drives results. This system is more than just building a website. It is a backbone on which to build a business.

2. SBI! allows for two methods of building web pages. First is the easy to use blockbuilder. Anyone can use it. For more complicated web pages, one can use any web editor and upload their own HTML pages. I use both methods to complete my site.

3. SBI!’s outstanding support drives my success in many ways. The extensive forums cover about everything you need to run a business website. Here, other solo entrepreneurs discuss tons of ideas and solutions. The SBI! Founder and CEO is very engaged in these forums, adding important insight into helping solo entrepreneurs run a successful website.

In addition, SBI! stays on top of changing market conditions. They investigate and offer solutions when these changes affect their customers. Examples of this include Google Panda and Penguin algorithm changes, enabling mobile websites, and most recently, one button upgrade to switch older sites from HTTP to secure HTTPS.

They also have a great staff that helps when technical issues arise. Finally, SBI! keeps a group of Pros that help entrepreneurs with website design, functionality, structure, marketing and selling products.

Jacki Cammidge

Jacki Cammidge

www.drought-smart-plants.com

Hmm, the top three ways SBI! has contributed to my success?  

I would have to say first, not having to learn HTML was a biggie. It was such a relief to find that I could build my site without learning coding. It was the main reason I went with SBI!  

I have not now, and never had, any desire to waste my valuable (and limited) time learning HTML.

I LOVE BB2! If it wasn’t for that, I would have closed down my site, folded up the tent and moved on.

If ever I need HTML, CSS or javascript help, I ask on the forum, where some very talented folks are happy to provide it. I love not having to leave our friendly forums to find someone helpful (because they’re generally not).

The third reason I’ve found success is because of all the great tools: Brainstorm It!, Site Designer and of course, MOM (MailOut Manager) and Form Build It!. Although MOM could still use a bit of  face lift, it’s usable and I’ve found ways around the quirks. I’ve tried MailChimp which is now integrated, but went back to MOM to keep it all inhouse.

Don Carter Jr

Don Carter Jr

www.Internet-of-the-Mind.com   

That’s an easy question…

1. SBI! gives a structure and evidence-based plan to follow.

2. SBI! provides all the necessary tools and information on how to use them effectively.

3. SBI! provides awesome support by vigilantly monitoring critical changes in the Internet, then providing new tools and know-how to make necessary adjustments as painless as possible.

Wayne Cascarano

Wayne Cascarano

www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com  

3 biggest reasons for success with SBI!:

1. A well documented Action Guide/plan
Follow the Action Guide in an orderly way from beginning to end to demystify the complete process required to build an online business.

2.  A helpful SBI! community forum
Visit the forums regularly to see what others are doing and what problems they are experiencing that could relate to your particular situation.

3. A first class support team
For unique problems that need immediate attention, use the support team for help.

Judith Christensen

Judith Christensen

www.clothingpatterns101.com

It’s difficult to put into words what SBI! has meant to  me and my business. Simply put, I wouldn’t have a business without SBI!.

I started my first site in 2007. I had no background whatsoever in online business or building a website. I can’t even remember how I ran across SBI!, but I am so grateful that I did.

I can’t say that I’m a real success story; I’m not making a full-time income from my online efforts. But I am making an average of about $850 per month — and, because I am still working demanding hours as a freelance seamstress, I only work on my online business about 10-15 hours a month.  $850 for a few hours of work isn’t too bad!

I truly believe that SBI! is the place to be if you’re new to building a website or an online business. Here’s what SBI! has done for me:

1. It’s “all-inclusive.”  SBI! has all of the tools you need to build a website and make your efforts produce income. Brainstorm It! for selecting keywords, the Site Designer, Image and Link libraries, newsletter platform, and so many more – all of these tools exist elsewhere, but if you don’t already have knowledge in site-building you wouldn’t know they exist, where to find them or how to use them.

SBI! supplies all the tools you need and shows you — by following the Action Guide — how (and when) to use them. Here’s just one example: submitting a sitemap to the search engines. They’ll show you how to do it and tell you when it’s time. I wouldn’t even know that was a “thing” without SBI!.

2. SBI! keeps tabs on what’s happening in the online world, and deals with the problems as they arise.  Google changed its algorithm again?  SBI! lets you know what that means to you and what (if anything) you need to do about it.  

They also update their programming to apply solutions to all SBI! sites (as in the recent “HTTPS conversion  tool” that allows all SBI! sites to comply with new demands for internet security).

I don’t have to spend time keeping up with all the tech stuff and dealing with constant changes; SBI! does it for me.

3. The community in the forums and online groups is invaluable. Sometimes I have a “stupid” question that I can’t find the answer to in the SBI! Action Guide (sometimes I just don’t even know how to phrase the question or where to direct it).

The online support of the community allows those of us who don’t “speak the language” to express our questions and concerns, and somebody will understand and help us out.  Maybe someone had a similar problem and tells their solution; sometimes a more tech-savvy person can explain things more clearly.

And sometimes, we just share jokes and greetings! It’s much more friendly and helpful than most tech-related online forums; you don’t have to be afraid to ask a question.

4. SBI! helps you build more than a website, it helps you build a business. My first website generated income with Adsense and affiliate links. I still make about $200 a month with that site, and I only work on it about 10 hours a year!!

But that $200 is much lower than the income I earned early on, and I expect it to continue to decline. So, following advice in the forums and online communities, I built another site, based on a topic about which I have years of experience and can produce my own products.  

The site itself has many pages of useful information, but I also create in-depth tutorials that I sell on the site. Teaching pattern design is my business; my site is simply a platform to introduce myself to the world and sell my tutorials.

My first site was not a business; it generates income, but it’s not a business. I now have a pattern design business, and my SBI! site supports that business.

SBI! is not “get rich quick”, but I don’t need to get rich at all. I just need to supplement my income by doing something I enjoy a few hours a month. And I know I’ve got that with SBI!.

I knew nothing about building a website when I started — and to be honest, I still know almost nothing. But I don’t have to know it all — I just know I can trust SBI! to take care of me and lead me in the right direction.

Jonathan Clogstoun-Willmott

Jonathan Clogstoun-Willmott

www.acupuncture-points.org

  1. Range of facilities all in one place.
  2. Forum, for help and advice.
  3. Encouragement, including the 10 DAY Action Guide.
Ashley Cotter-Cairns

Ashley Cotter-Cairns

www.sellmycomicbooks.com

  1. SBI! is easy to use.
  2. There are no distractions like plugins, updates, hosting.
  3. Documentation is solid and support for that documentation is excellent.
Frank Dalotto

Frank Dalotto

www.new-jersey-leisure-guide.com

“What are the top 3 ways in which SBI! has contributed to your success?”

SBI! is more than a host service provider. They offer a full range of services aimed at the solopreneur with little or no technical support staff to ensure that their site and web pages are optimized, such as page analysis, a broken link checker, 301 redirects, libraries (links, images, 301’s, reusable blocks), and more.

Outstanding Customer Service/Support. They are quick to respond in a courteous, highly communicative manner, and with a sense of urgency. They are technically competent, and if the fix is beyond their level of proficiency,  they are quick to refer it to a software developer, and very importantly stay on top of it with continuous follow up and feedback on the status.

SBI! offers an outstanding, none better,  “Blockbuilder” web-builder package. It’s easy to use for the semi-technical web builder, which allows the solopreneur to focus on all the other non-technical, web publishing functions.

There are many more benefits and support services that SBI! offers that I failed to mention. Bottom line, I would not have enjoyed the success I have had with web publishing over the past ten years, were it not for SBI!.

I have tried other services, but none of them comes close to SBI!. SBI! is unique and stands out in a class by itself. No doubt this is due to Ken Evoy and his leadership skills, and in hiring an outstanding team of professionals.

Marianne Edwards

Marianne Edwards

www.frugal-rv-travel.com

  1. SBI! provided the means and ways to an end.

    I had a product idea (a comprehensive travel guide document geared to a niche market — frugal RVers). I wanted a website to “see if it would sell” as an ebook. In the age when downloadable documents were selling from $0.99 to $9.99, I priced it at US$17.00; I had put a lot of work into it and knew the value was there.

    This was 11 years ago, when I was a complete novice to web sites and there was no guarantee it would sell at all. I would never have followed through with it if I’d had to pay someone else to create a website for me. SBI! advice was to build the site, give away a ton of other info, and then, offer my product for sale. I wrote many web pages, giving away a ton of “other” useful information that was not part of the guide.

    2. SBI!’s advice to write about what I know from my unique perspective helped me become confident.

    I would have never thought I could be considered an expert in anything but, gradually, as people told me I was, I began to recognize that I must be. I did not have to pretend to know everything; keeping it totally honest felt great.

    When I didn’t know something, I found and linked to other trusted resources. This helped me build relationships, trust, and referrals by those industry experts. The first few years, it was just a hobby — but one  that paid for itself. Even in the first year, I had made enough sales and Google Adsense revenue to pay for my SBI! renewal. Plus, I was having fun. So it was a hobby that paid for itself. Why not just have fun and see where it grows?

    3. All SBI! pages I created are “evergreen.”

    Sales from my (now 6) guides grew steadily and reliably. This, despite the fact that, after the first two or three years, I put very little effort into adding new site content. I review pages about once a year or when prompted by a reader, to be sure the information is still relevant.

    I end up doing some but very little tweaking or updating. The Content 2.0 pages (another part of SBI! that allows site visitors to add content to my site) and notifications about broken links make it easy to keep my site active and the search engines happy with minimal effort.   

    4. I was able to build a successful business with help and guidelines but I love that there are no hard and fast rules.

    No boss was there telling me what I “must” do or how I could be even more successful if only I’d devote more time to …blah, blah, blah. I’m not a numbers person. I have very little interest in projections and statistics or reading and comparing graphs. If I check the traffic stats on my site once a year, it’s likely because someone asks me for them, not because I’m curious or want to track how my business is doing.

    The money arriving in my account every month is all the stats I need. And it keeps growing, so that’s enough for me. I know that if I “tried harder” I could be more successful, but I’m quite content.

    After all, this started as just a hobby — one that somehow replaced my day job within a couple of years. I’m 65 now and supposed to be retired!

    5. Access to SBI! Professionals — ones who specialize in SBI! websites.

    For the big changes, I was able to find and hire great help at reasonable rates. Debs Seeber (who’s in charge of the SBI! Professionals) helped me set up “Infin it!” for my new WordPress blog in 2016.

    In 2014, AJ (another SBI! Pro) did the coding to make my site mobile-friendly. Both Debs and AJ were great — they gave amazing personal service going over and above what I’d contracted with them. It was great to not have to search outside of SBI! itself to find experts who knew exactly how I had built my site and what needed to be done.

    6. My successful SBI! site became a springboard for my next venture.

    Not really a reply to your question, but thought I’d share this final testament — I have a second website, Boondockers Welcome. For RVers, it is the Driveway Surfing equivalent to Couch Surfing. That project, in partnership with my daughter, who is the (genius) CTO, is my real focus now. (I’m not really very retired, after all.)

    It’s also a passion project for the two of us. If not for my success with frugal-rv-travel.com, I think neither of us would have believed in this idea enough to dedicate as much time and effort to it as we have. The site owes a lot of its success to being first-to-market but frugal-rv-travel played a big role as well. We had the unique advantage of seeding our membership with over 200 hosts who were already my loyal fans.

    I’m sure my proven success with frugal-rv-travel also paved the way for my daughter trusting my instincts about this venture. She still usually listens to my suggestions — imagine that!

    And finally, my reliable, steady ebook income lets me be content to let Boondockers Welcome grow at its own slow-and-steady pace. I know from experience that it pays off.  

    So thanks, Ken and the SBI! Team, for almost eleven years. My daughter used to suggest I could accomplish the same with a cheaper GoDaddy site but she gave up on trying to convince me. Why would I switch when it has worked so well for me? I’m a loyal SBI! fan.

Vincent Finnan

Vincent Finnan

www.italian-renaissance-art.com

The top three ways that SBI! has contributed to my success are…

  1. First and foremost providing the detailed information that allowed me to build a website in the first place — I had absolutely no idea about the process of web-building, SBI! solved my problem. The Action Guide was — and still is — invaluable as a learning tool.
  2. Next would have to be the correct way of engaging with an audience on the Net. This allowed me to share my passion for art with people all over the world, something that I did not imagine that I could ever achieve.
  3. A very important factor for me is the continued support provided by SBI! in a fast moving and fluid internet environment — an example would be the HTTPS conversion process, which was very smooth indeed. As long as SBI! remains at the forefront of innovation and continues to take the hard work out of managing a website it will have my full support.
Susan Gast

Susan Gast

www.easy-food-dehydrating.com  

The top three ways SBI! made my site successful, in no particular order:

  1. SBI!’s continual upgrading of resources — (without having to pay the upgrade price!).
  2. The sheer volume of must-know info, shared within the 10-DAY Action Guide.
  3. Providing pretty much an all-in-one service (site hosting, email, newsletter) at an affordable price. Sure, I’ve added on upgraded email services (ConvertKit) for a more modern look.
  4. OK, another one: the team’s efforts at keeping us abreast of stuff we need to do to be current (https for one). Saves us solopreneurs a ton of time.

    Another one: your SBIX newsletter … I love to read Ken’s SBIX in my inbox!

    Another one: your Tech Support are second to none. Always on the ball, courteous, and are fun to work with! Love ’em!

    Overall, SBI! rocks. I’ve tried GoDaddy, just to save money due to the lure of being able to have more than one site in one account for one fixed price. Truth is, I wasted more time and money doing that! It’s the shiny object syndrome at work!

Wellesley Gayle

Wellesley Gayle

www.my-island-jamaica.com  

What are the top 3 ways in which SBI! has contributed to your success?

1. Online business knowledge (knowledge is still power)

That’s the first and most critical way SBI! contributed to my success. And for that I am eternally grateful.

Yes, there are a myriad of programs out there but SBI! brings the most important pieces all together nicely, in a way that everyone can understand.

This started with the Action Guide and extended itself to the friendly forums, the information Headquarters (e.g. Tips and Techniques and monetization articles) and support.

2. The integration of a sweet suite of the tools (saves time and money)

Yes, again everything I needed is there. No need to buy tools from different suppliers.
Researching keywords, designing the site, building pages, engaging the customers (newsletter or C2), getting social, etc., are all included.

3. A shoulder to lean on

Every now and then I run into a technical issue, from Google, for example, and I have no clue!

I rest assured that I can always email support and get some insight into it. In many cases there exists an article about it, but the folks in support are always willing to listen and gently direct me to the resource material if available. If not, they investigate and get back to me with an update.

I also rest assured that whatever new trend might come along, SBI! will be right there to advise and direct me.

I could go on and on, but you asked for only three.

Mark Gittelman

Mark Gittelman

www.youfixcars.com

I sold Youfixcars.com on 1/10/2017 to a media company. That company transferred it to their own servers and converted it to a WordPress site. With that said, I appreciated how SBI! got us through major transitions on the internet. The web was a different place when I started that site in 2007.

SBI! guided us through Panda and Penguin and provided ongoing studies and recovery tips. SBI! never stopped working at providing solid resources that helped us adapt to a changing internet.

On the development side we got BB2 and help to make our sites mobile friendly when the Internet sprung that one on us. You won’t find this kind of caring at any web hosting company.

Bridget Gore

Bridget Gore

www.workplace-communication.com

  1. Excellent guide on how to do everything for your website.
  2. Brainstorm It! — this is absolutely critical.
  3. SBI! being able to analyse and figure out what has impacted sites when there were algorithm changes.
  4. The excellent advice — You can completely block out all other noise and advice on the net and know that SBI! is the only source of information you need.
Anton Hout

Anton Hout

www.Australian-Shepherd-Lovers.com

I am thrilled that my site, Australian-Shepherd-Lovers.com, has been chosen for the Results page! I remember combing through those listings before I even joined SBI!, visiting the sites, wondering if I could ever have a site successful enough to be added. I hope it helps inspire future SBIers to start their journey to creating their own successful online business!

The top 3 ways in which SBI! has contributed to my success could be summed up as guidance, inspiration, and support…

1. SBI! has contributed to my success by providing a comprehensive online business-building education. There are so many disparate things that need to be taken into account before, during, and after setting up an online business that most people who are new to this type of venture would likely miss entire pieces of the puzzle that are critical to their success.

With SBI! I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel or spend weeks, months, or years sifting through contradictory and incomplete information on the web. SBI! provided me the roadmap: what to do, when to do it, and why.

2. SBI! has contributed to my success by allowing me to believe that success was possible in the first place. Before joining SBI! I was intrigued by the case studies and examples of all the successful online business owners they featured on their site.

Could it be true? I wasn’t sure at the beginning, but as I learned about other people, in the forums, I could see that many of them were further along the path than I was and that they were succeeding.

I knew then if I followed the guidance provided by SBI!, learned from those who had created successful online businesses before me — and put in the work — that I really could do it. And I have!

3. SBI! has contributed to my success by being there when I needed them. It is reassuring to know that whatever issue I face or question I have there is a team behind me.

If I have a technical problem, the support team at SBI! is highly responsive. If I have a question about anything, I know I can go to the forums and get answers. If I want one-to-one coaching or decide to delegate a task, I can count on the SiteSell Pros to provide the services I need to help me take my online business to the next level.

This kind of support from a company that actually cares about their customers and the community of fellow solopreneurs has been critical to my success.

Masahiro Imafuji

Masahiro Imafuji

www.kendo-guide.com

1. First off, the guidance. Action Guide and videos are great. I made websites on my own but didn’t know what to do or how to do it. But SBI! tells you what to do! So you can save tremendous time.

2. Coaches. I talked to some coaches. As a solopreneur, we need someone to talk to.
And that someone needs to be a pro or specialist. SBI! has them. That is a huge plus.

3. Newsletter with success stories. Simply encouragement. Gives us ideas to direct our business.

4. All the tools to support us. I don’t know what is going on or what is new in the internet world. But SBI! is on it! It gives us the tools to catch up with changes in the internet world. We just have to follow the guidance and not mess it up!

Susan Kelly

Susan Kelly

www.creative-funeral-ideas.com

Here are the top three ways SBI! has contributed to my success:

1. The Action Guide
No get rich quick promises, but a realistic process that teaches you how to build a website that generates traffic, and whether or not it makes sense to spend the time and energy to build a site on a topic.

2. Ken Evoy’s Heart and Soul
The owner of SBI! pours his heart and soul into helping us succeed.  His entries in the forum are invaluable (although sometimes a little longer in length then they needed to be…lol).

The ebooks he has created, like “Make Your Content PreSell,” “Make Your Words Sell” and “Make Your Price Sell” are invaluable and I have read them many times.

3. SBI! takes care of everything!
You have no idea how computer illiterate I am!  As a business woman, I  always had assistants to take care of my computer needs. Building a website came about as a result of paying people thousands of dollars to build me a site that – although it looked very nice – was completely ineffective.

SBI! was something that I did in the evenings to challenge myself in learning a proper way of building a website. I was not allowed to build a site for my day job as I worked in a highly regulated industry from a compliance point of view.

So I built a web business completely unrelated to my work. Now that I am retired the site continues to keep my mind engaged and challenged. And SBI! continues to make managing a website easy, keeping on top of all the technical changes required.

Maria Lewander

Maria Lewander

www.onlinepianocoach.com

3 ways SBI! has helped me become successful, in order of importance:

  1. Action Guide — the videos with the very nice and comforting voice, and the checklists for each “day.” (I get easily sidetracked…)
  2. The forums — invaluable.
  3. Brainstorm It! — it’s a wow. Especially now with the new keyword value tasks.
Debbie Madson

Debbie Madson

www.kids-cooking-activities.com

1. A comprehensive service that takes care of the behind-the-scenes details. This allows me to concentrate on building a site and creating content, which is what I love about being a web publisher.

An example is the recent https conversion. SBI! made it simple enough that all I had to do was hit a button and follow a step-by-step guide. I didn’t have to research and find information on what to do to change my site over.

2. Support. Whenever I’ve had an issue or questions, which wasn’t often, I’ve always been happy with emailing Support and getting the help that I needed quickly.

Having a forum that answers questions easily and articles on Tips and Techniques makes it easy for me to receive help when working online.

3. Love the Action Guide. The day by day Action Guide was well laid out for me to learn and understand what a natural way to build a site was like. When I started working on building my first site over 10 years ago, this was invaluable at helping me get started.

I now upload my own HTML and don’t use BlockBuilder, but that is how I learned and was able to make a progression of steps to become a better web publisher. I still love writing content and having confidence in my sites using SBI! many years later.

I can’t thank you enough for making it possible to stay home and make a living for my family.

Doug Mann

Doug Mann

www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com

Narrowing it to 3 is a challenge…

1. The SBI! Action Guide was a huge help in so many ways. From understanding how to structure a website to perspective on keeping it real to developing a long-term approach — i.e., tortoise power — to advice on best practices, and how to stay focused on things that matter, the Action Guide is a springboard to a successful website.

2. The Analyze It! tool has helped me understand how to create a web page that search engines “like.”

3. Having tools like Brainstorm It! and the Master Keyword List is an incredible advantage.

4. The SBI! Forums and the community of SBI! members led by Debs answered so many questions in the beginning; and after more than 10 years I still get helpful advice.

Thanks for overdelivering in too many ways to speak of!

Marc Mitnick

Marc Mitnick

www.foot-pain-explained.com

1. One stop shopping in that not only did you show me the proper way to build a site in terms of organization, but also the methods available to me to monetize it.  

2. The vast amount of resources available to me through SBI!. It seems a week does not pass that I don’t get new ideas from SBI! on how to grow my audience. An example would be your primers on the merits of Pinterest, the pro and the cons, along with best practices in setting up the account and driving traffic to my site.

I have also had the occasion to read about an idea for my site, elsewhere, and wouldn’t you know it, SBI! has already covered the topic, making it simple to implement the idea on my site.

3. World class support. It amazes me that for the eleven years I have been associated with SBI!, I have never had a problem that Support was unable to figure out, always with a cheerful attitude.

Catherine Pratt

Catherine Pratt

www.life-with-confidence.com   

One of the main reasons I love SBI! so much is that you go way above and beyond to solve any potential issues I might encounter with my site and you always keep me informed about what I need to do to keep my site compliant with the latest “must do’s.”

For example, I wouldn’t have known about converting my site to https if you hadn’t told me. I would have had no clue how to convert my site to https if you hadn’t made it so easy that all I had to do was press one button.

I have a friend who’s not with SBI!. I told her about the https issue and she asked me, “What do I do?” I had no answer for her except maybe, “Switch to SBI!. They take care of you.”

It may not sound like a big thing but it’s huge. There’s been so many times you’ve come up with super easy solutions for me with things that could have potentially completely derailed my site. You got me through all the Google animals (Penguin, Panda, etc.) by doing massive amounts of research and boiling it all down to what I needed to do. Who else would be willing to do something like that for their clients? Very, very few.

SBI! always keeps me up to date on information I need to know about the world of web-building. That’s huge. I don’t have a lot of time to work on my site anyway. I definitely don’t have time to keep researching all the latest things I need to do, like when the requirement became that you needed to notify your visitors that you have cookies on your site.

It’s huge knowing that I have a trusted source to provide me with the information I need and also provides a simple solution for me so I can get back to concentrating on my site.

I also love that you provide everything I need in one spot. I tried using a WordPress site for awhile and I hated having to find a plugin for every single thing I wanted to do. I also had to research all those plugins to make sure they were legit and weren’t scamming me (some were discovered to be taking a cut of people’s Amazon earnings, for example).

Plus, what a huge security risk that is having all those hundreds of different third-party companies installing code on your site. Code that you have absolutely no idea what it’s doing in the background. Security nightmare.

It also got to be expensive adding on all those plugins. You think your site will be cheaper going the WordPress route but by the time you add in all those plugins just to do the basics, it gets to be expensive. You also have to keep updating all those plugins. I don’t need to do any of that with SBI! because everything I need is already part of it.

The support staff is amazing too. Whatever issue I run into, the support staff is so quick to help and they also always go above and beyond to help me out. Always incredibly nice people too. In all the years I’ve had my SBI! site, I’ve never run into a bad one. They’re all amazing. It makes a difference.

I also love that you have a team of SBI! Professionals who I can use for anything additional I need like a new site design. It’s great knowing there’s a team of people who can help me out and know exactly how to implement that solution on my SBI! site.

The one other factor is that building a web site can be a lonely business. I like getting my SBI! newsletter which provides me with information but also highlights what other SBI! users are doing and what they’ve done to be successful. It makes me feel more like I’m part of a community.

I love the amount of solid information you provide to me with the Action Guide. I need to go back and reread the Action Guide actually. I have to embarrassingly admit that last year I was frustrated with my site, and I got sucked into buying an insanely (and I mean insanely) expensive blogging course which promised to teach me how to run a successful site.

I only did a few of the lessons and realized it was crap compared to what I’d learned in the Action Guide and I’d been given the Action Guide with my SBI! subscription. It wasn’t something I had to pay for in addition.

Sadly, I couldn’t get a refund on my money from the course but it did teach me that I haven’t been appreciating enough the information that SBI! freely gives me. Education is so powerful. I do find the Action Guide overwhelming to go through but I should read it again.

Anyway, I love my SBI! site. You just make it so easy for me. That’s what a good partnership is like. You concentrate on all the technical stuff so I can focus on the content.

I so very much appreciate you! Thank You for all you do for me!!!!

Darren Priest

Darren Priest

www.best-auto-detailing-tips.com  

I certainly have figured out a few tricks along the way to get my website(s) to perform for me financially (I realize only my one website makes it on your radar, but my other website generates a great income for me — just not passively).

So with that said, let me see about answering the question:

The 3 top ways (plus a bonus factor):

1. Reducing the learning down in a way in which an absolute beginner can learn how to become relevant to all types of readers. I literally could only send emails before I found SBI!. I didn’t even see the relevance of an email, never mind the endless skills I now have with coding HTML/CSS, SEO, etc., etc., etc.

2. The ability to consume the learning material in a manner that can work for anyone (meaning the training can be consumed via watching, reading and listening).

3. The tools we have access to so we can develop strategies and make decisions based on relevant facts, data and numbers.

4. The forums (this is a bonus and one that I do not take full advantage of). The people who are so graciously willing to help, and the resource this provides us as users/members of SBI!.

I feel a strong sense of guilt as I have been very selfish in not giving more to help with the forums, etc. I have been juggling far too many balls in the air for a very long time and have to seriously choose my battles wisely. If we all operated like I have, the forums would not be 1/1000 of what they are, and to this I feel great remorse.

Alex Ragner

Alex Ragner

www.brainyweightloss.com

To narrow it down to 3 items…

  1. The foundational C T P M philosophy and proven step-by-step process in the Action Guide.
  2. All the necessary and relevant tools in one place.
  3. The up-to-date guidance throughout the TNT & Monetization HQs.
Tracy Scorzafava

Tracy Scorzafava

www.womansdivorce.com

What are the top 3 ways in which SBI! has contributed to my success?

1. SBI! gave me direction when I first started out online. I knew I wanted to build a website, but I didn’t have a clue what I should focus on. The Action Guide acted as a blueprint to help me map out the foundation for my site, giving me insight into what people were searching for.

Without the guide and the keyword research tools, I would have been totally lost and probably wouldn’t have an online business today.

2. SBI! lets me focus on creating content, making connections with my visitors, and doing the other work that supports and grows my business.

Without SBI!, I would be forced to focus on the small stuff instead of the big picture (i.e., spend countless hours trying to figure out coding, installing scripts, worrying about templates or outsourcing to have all this done for me).

3. SBI! is like a reliable best friend. I don’t have to worry about my site going down or having unexpected fees for services I may or may not need. One price covers it all and it’s been the same price for the last 15 years I’ve been with SBI!.

I know that I can reach out in the forums if I have a question or contact the SBI! Pros if I need help. SBI! is the one thing I know I can depend on.

Derek Teo

Derek Teo

www.singapore-vacation-attractions.com

Here are the three main ways in which SBI! has contributed to my success:

  1. The 10 DAY Action Guide. This guide book makes me feel that I can build the site myself with its help. So I joined without much hesitation.
  2. The forums. I learned a lot here from other SBIers. Many of my questions and doubts were solved by helpful SBIers.
  3. The SBI! ezine. It updates me with many new things and information. I especially like the “Forum Skinny.”
Norbert Thomas

Norbert Thomas

www.expert-chess-strategies.com

The top 3 ways in which SBI! has contributed to my success:

  1. Keywords.
  2. Knowledge how to build a page and structure my site properly.
  3. Perseverance supported by help and knowledge from the forums.
Joe Thurston

Joe Thurston

www.resumes-cover-letters-jobs.com   

My top 3 ways SBI! definitely helped me succeed online:

1. Getting Free, Targeted Traffic
8,994,052 page views since I started this website. SBI! teaches you how to get traffic. Period. How they do that is reliable instruction with step-by-step ways of building a page the correct way. (The Action Guide).

(That number is verified info that came from SBI!’s Traffic Stats module that they supply to us for free.)

So much help in fact that if you are dedicated in learning the process they teach, you will succeed not only at building a website, but also the rewards.

I started at the end of 2008 by purchasing their Christmas Special and have never looked back. Now going into my 10th year the magic that has happened is truly incredible to say the least.

I upload my own HTML. For anyone else who also does this, SBI! makes it so easy by organizing each page’s files so everything on the page gets uploaded with no mistakes. They double-check everything so there are no mistakes uploading your files.

2. Ranking Highly at the Search Engines
Right now I have 318 pages that rank on the first 3 pages in Google search, Yahoo Search or Bing Search. All thanks to SBI!’s learning tools they supply for free. All in the first 3 pages of search results, it’s still mind boggling to me how they do it!!!

7 pages are the #1 listing in the search results when my keywords are used. SBI! taught me how to do this. Anyone else can do the same by following this excellent teaching style they offer that actually works.

31 of my website’s pages are listed on the 1st page of the search results. Wow, are you kidding me? No, I am not. SBI! has all the knowledge right at your fingertips; it’s all there waiting for you to learn.

(Those numbers are verified info that came from SBI!’s Search Engine HQ module that they supply to us. Yes, for free.)

3. Training Materials
I really appreciate all the material and knowledge that is available to me by using SBI!. This is the first website I have ever built. So the videos and mega information articles on how to go about building my site the correct way are really the guts of the whole website-building foundation.

Without those materials offered by SBI!, I would be nowhere.

I salute you, SBI!, for helping me succeed. Now I can help others who need a job resume, a cover letter or just help in general. That is what I do.

Prasanna Vishwasrao

Prasanna Vishwasrao

www.self-help-and-self-development.com

1. The very idea that I can make money by building a website.
I was contemplating building a website just to share my knowledge of improving one’s life. Only after reading SBI!’s information did I realise that it’s possible to earn from one’s website.

2. Action Guide
Never knew anything like keywords existed. Never knew that pages have to be written in a certain way so as to rank well on Google. Had no idea about the structure of a site. Was zero in HTML.

And all this would have remained as it is if it were not for the Action Guide. The Action Guide also told me that it is not necessary to be an expert in HTML.

3. Forums and Tips & Techniques Headquarters
A newbie needs guidance at every step of the site-building process. For the big picture there is the Action Guide and for everything else, there are the Forums and the Tips & Techniques articles.

4. Focus
SBI! protects you from all the “noise” out there. No need to read anything else. Just concentrate on your site and business.

Kathy Widenhouse

Kathy Widenhouse

www.tomatodirt.com

Top 3 ways SBI! has contributed to the site’s success:

My favorite feature is the Brainstorm It! Keyword Research Tool. I use it almost every time I post a new page. It saves me lots of time with keyword research and obviously gives me keywords that rank highest. YAY! Also, it shows me which iterations of keywords are most-searched-for (i.e., watering tomatoes vs. watering tomato plants) so I can strategically name pages.

Blockbuilder eliminates the need for me to do excess tech. I have some basic HTML knowledge but I’d rather not mess with WordPress updates, etc. — so for me, the Blockbuilder feature is a huge win. It allows me to concentrate largely on content creation.

I also like the unlimited pages and images feature. This helps me build and build pages (versus worrying about limiting myself or choosing what to include and what not to include).

Nick Winter

Nick Winter

www.understanding-cement.com

SBI! has been an enormous help to me in many ways. If I had just set up a website on my own, it would probably have disappeared without trace years ago.

In no special order of importance:

Firstly, SBI! provides what might be termed a “sheltered environment” that gives guidance on everything from how to choose your niche, how to set up your website and how to grow it as a business. Without this, I would have been floundering around on my own. At every stage, there has been a ton of information readily available if I got stuck.

Then there is the forum where so many kind, generous and knowledgeable people hang out who have helped me a lot. This sheltered environment means that I can focus on my website without distractions, but at the same time I know that I am not on my own – there is a range of huge resources at my disposal whenever I need it.

Secondly, I would say the security of knowing that I don’t need to worry about the site getting hacked is very important; if anything did go wrong, SBI! would fix it. I also have a couple of WordPress sites and I have come to resent the time I have to waste updating plugins every day or two and generally trying to keep the bad guys out. What’s worse, they don’t earn much money or get much traffic!

Thirdly, I really value the friends and contacts I have made through SBI!. I go to our London meet ups as often as I can and it is great to spend a day with like-minded people, all in different stages of developing our sites. We come away enthusiastic to try new ideas, suggestions for books to read etc., and this camaraderie again reinforces the knowledge that we are not alone.

Fourthly, I will be retiring in the next few years but through SBI! I have learnt new skills that I will use both to keep my little grey cells active and to earn some income, both with my present site and maybe one or two others.

The days of generous company pensions are gone; SBI! must be invaluable for someone of retirement age just starting out with an internet business and I’m sure this is an area that SBI! could develop. Similarly, small businesses (like me) who don’t have an “IT department” could do so much better with SBI! than just going to a normal website developer. (This could be SBBI! – small business build-it!)

SBI! is a unique resource; I don’t know of anything else like it.

Michelle Zack

Michelle Zack

www.favoritefreezerfoods.com  

How has SBI! helped make my site successful? How much time do you have? 😉  These are not in any specific order.

1. Understanding how to structure a site and keep it focused on a single niche was huge in the early days. It helped set a target for me that people could relate to.

2. The encouragement to start an email list, Facebook, Pinterest and other social media, with advice on how to implement those strategies well.

3. The forums. I can not count how many times I got stuck on something and someone in the forums was able to help solve my problems in minutes or hours. For example, one day I could not get my HTML code for a link to work. After struggling for hours with it I posted for help in the forums.

Within minutes I got a reply — the program I was drafting in used “curly quotes” instead of straight quotes and that was the change I needed. Something that small could have been a huge stumbling block if I was trying to do everything alone.

4. The forums. The “Challenges” are amazing. It’s motivating to work toward the same goal as others and to share our insights and help each other.

5. The forums. The enthusiasm is contagious. When I have been away from my site awhile or am lacking motivation, the Action Guide can feel overwhelming. But  somehow jumping into the forums makes things feel smaller and more manageable.

Maybe it’s because I see other solopreneurs doing things one step and one day at a time. I can see them feel just as overwhelmed, breaking it down and doing it anyway.

6. The Action Guide. It’s like having 50% of your business plan done for you and getting suggestions on how to fill in the rest.

7. Analyze It!. Learning to write SEO-friendly content is a new skill. Analyze It! is like retaking the test until you know you pass.

8. Brainstorm It! is probably my favorite. I love looking at the numbers. From choosing a niche to choosing which page to build next, Brainstorm It! is a cavern of gems waiting to be mined.

9. The T ‘n T HQ (Tips & Techniques Headquarters) and MHQ (Monetization Headquarters) article collections are indispensable.

10. The Sitebuilder is amazing and user-friendly for people like me who couldn’t tell a straight quote from a curly quote when I started. I still can barely code anything and am perfectly content knowing that my lack of coding skills will not hold me back from online success.

11. The Google Unified Study [in response to Google’s Panda algorithm] was amazing too. I doubt that level of knowledge is available anywhere else online. It’s great to see what you did wrong so you don’t repeat your mistakes.

Summary: Key Success Factors and Takeaway Lessons From Top Solopreneurs

What are the top 3 ways in which SBI! has contributed to your success?

That’s the question we had asked.

After reading the 37 replies, can you pinpoint the winners? We know already that being part of the super helpful SBI! forum community came in second place. Which other factor made it to the very top of the list?

It starts with an “A” and has been mentioned 35 times by our 37 survey respondents: it’s the SBI! Action Guide. (Some participants mentioned the Action Guide more than once. However, in the table below, we counted each “vote” only once. Hence the difference in numbers.)

Closely related to the Action Guide is success factor number three: comprehensive, relevant business-building training and education.

To recap, these are the top 3 key elements in winning online:

  1. The SBI! Action Guide
  2. The SBI! Community
  3. Relevant business-building training and information

And at least 10 out of 37 people mentioned 4 more keys for their solopreneur success:

  1. Everything in one place
  2. Constant updating of information and tools
  3. Excellent Support
  4. Brainstorm It! (SBI!’s smart keyword brainstorming and analysis tool)

Here’s the complete list of the factors noted in the replies (21 factors in total):

factors noted in the replies

Displayed as a graph, the results look like this:

Graph of the factors noted in the replies

Now that we know which factors are regarded as being critical to online success, the next question is, why? Why is the Action Guide so important? Or the community, the education, the constant updating?

How, exactly, can these elements help you succeed in your solopreneur career?

To answer this question, let’s take a closer look at the highest rated factors.

Success Factor #1: The SBI! Action Guide

SBI! Action GuideImagine you decide to build an online business about your dearest passion, breeding Siamese cats. You have a vague idea of what you need: a website, for starters. You should probably also be on Facebook, Pinterest or other social media. You need to write and publish content. Your website needs to be found at Google and the other search engines.

And then, the biggie — how do you turn your knowledge about Siamese cats into an income? Your head starts to spin. Where do you start? What exactly do you have to do and in which order?  

That’s where the SBI! Action Guide comes in. It pulls all the important business-building information you need into one place. It leads you through a straightforward, detailed step-by-step process (C  T  P  M) that has been proven time and again to work.

Does the Action Guide make it easy to build an online business? Nope. But it makes it completely doable, one step at a time. It takes out the guesswork, saving you a lot of your most precious resource — time. And it gives you peace of mind because you know that you are on the right track.

SBIer Michael Bates sums it up nicely, when he writes:

The 10 DAY Action Guide totally rocks. This helped me hugely. The step-by-step  process just can’t be beat, and helped grow my confidence that I could really build a site and a business. It’s just so user friendly! A key point here is that doing things correctly, right from the start, makes a big difference.

Success Factor #2: The SBI! Community

We won’t sugarcoat it. Building a real, long-term online business you can be proud of takes time and effort. There’s so much to learn and so much to do in an ever-evolving online landscape.

When the going gets tough, you have the SBI! forums to turn to for encouragement and motivation. Even if you have a supportive spouse or family member, nothing comes close to talking to people who really “get” your frustration or doubts. Everyone in the SBI! forums is in the same boat as you, just at different stages of the online business journey.

The forums. The enthusiasm is contagious. When I have been away from my site awhile or am lacking motivation, the Action Guide can feel overwhelming. But somehow jumping into the forums makes things feel smaller and more manageable.Michelle Zack

That’s just one benefit of being part of a solopreneur community. The other huge advantage is the exchange of tips, advice and best practices.  No question in the SBI! forums goes unanswered for more than 24 hours. It’s usually another SBI! member who provides the answer. And if no SBIer knows the answer, one of the forum moderators, SBI! Professionals, SiteSell employees or the CEO himself jumps in to help out.

And one more thing… the SBI! forums are different. You won’t be ridiculed for lack of knowledge, or for asking a “stupid” question. Instead, people will go above and beyond to help you.

The online support of the community allows those of us who don’t “speak the language” to express our questions and concerns, and somebody will understand and help us out.Judith Christensen

Success Factor #3: Relevant Business-Building Training and Information

More than once, SBI! has been likened to getting an MBA, for a fraction of the cost. As an SBI! member, you’ll get the right information at the right time and in a well organized, easy-to-follow format.

This starts with the Action Guide (in written, audio and video format) and continues throughout your progress with articles and tutorials in the comprehensive “Tips and Techniques” and “Monetization” headquarters.

The weekly newsletter keeps you informed about important developments, releases, article additions and juicy tips from the forums.

The list below shows just a small sample of the business-building articles you’ll find within SBI!.

Small sample of the business-building articles

Not only do you get all the information you need to build a business, you get the right information. No need for you to sift through hundreds of blogs and “expert” websites to figure out what’s valuable or worthless or even detrimental to your success.

As Anton Hout puts it…

With SBI! I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel or spend weeks, months, or years sifting through contradictory and incomplete information on the web. SBI! provided me the roadmap: what to do, when to do it, and why.

With information alone you can’t really build your business though. You also need the tools, secure hosting and technical support. Which leads us directly into success factor number 4.

Success Factor #4: Everything in One Place

With SBI! you get the “whole package”: step-by-step process, software tools, guidance, support, community. All in one place, for one price and with one login.

Imagine the time and headaches you save yourself when you don’t have to search for fast and secure hosting, a domain registrar, an affordable (and smart!) keyword research tool, a way for your visitors to contact you, leave a comment, share your pages, etc.

Not only does SBI! provide all the tools you need, you can be sure they work smoothly together. No update will break their compatibility with your site, or put your site at risk.

I also love that you provide everything I need in one spot. I tried using a WordPress site for awhile and I hated having to find a plugin for every single thing I wanted to do. I also had to research all those plugins to make sure they were legit and weren’t scamming me (some were discovered to be taking a cut of people’s Amazon earnings for example).Catherine Pratt

Success Factor #5: Constant Updating of Information and Tools

This one’s a biggie. The online landscape changes so fast. How are you supposed to keep up with the newest requirements and regulations, mainly from the search engines, but also from institutions like the Federal Trade Commission or even governments (think European cookie law)?

And not only keeping up with them, but knowing when and how to update your website accordingly?

As an SBIer, you don’t have to. We do it for you. Whether it’s about dealing with Google’s algorithm changes, making your site mobile-friendly, complying with new cookie laws, or — most recently — converting your site from HTTP to HTTPS, SBI! has you covered.

Which allows you to focus on what matters: building your business!

A very important factor for me is the continued support provided by SBI! in a fast moving and fluid internet environment – an example would be the HTTPS conversion process, which was very smooth indeed.Vincent Finnan

Success Factor #6: Excellent Support

Fast and efficient customer support is important for any kind of product or service you use, but even more so if all or part of your income depends on that product.

SBIers have 24/7 access to our dedicated support team. We are super proud about the high marks the team consistently receives, like this one from Marc Mitnick…

World class support. It amazes me that for the eleven years I have been associated with SBI!, I have never had a problem that support was unable to figure out, always with a cheerful attitude.

Our support staff are the true heroes of our company. They care like crazy about you and the success of your business.

Success Factor #7: Brainstorm It!

SBI! Brainstorm It!Like in our first survey of this kind, Brainstorm It! received the highest marks of all SBI! tools, confirming its importance for building an online business the right way.

Too many beginner solopreneurs depend on “gut feel” or “intuition” when deciding about their content or even their niche.  But business success starts with in-depth upfront research, before you do anything else.

Keyword research plays an important role during this initial planning phase. Brainstorm It! — together with its analytical counterpart, the Master Keyword List – enables you to reveal and target the keywords that your audience is actively searching on. It helps form the structure of your site and what you will write about.

It also helps you to determine the business potential your niche has, or even to come up with possible niches in your area of interest.

Brainstorm It!, the tool SBI! gives me to find keywords, is simply brill. Dozens of my pages are ranked in Google’s top 5, many are #1, and my traffic grows daily.Cath Andrews

That’s the kind of success SBI! solopreneurs achieve in much higher numbers than with any other system or platform.*

We leave the last word to Susan Gast:

Overall, SBI! rocks. I’ve tried GoDaddy, just to save money due to the lure of being able to have more than one site in one account for one fixed price. Truth is, I wasted more time and money doing that! It’s the shiny object syndrome at work!

Don’t waste time or money. Rely on the world’s most effective web business-builder to achieve the success you deserve.

Get started here, or talk to an Advisor about your ideas and how SBI! can help you realize them.

* That’s not just something we say, but a fact based on actual comparisons with major competitors. We measured the effectiveness of each platform, the rate at which its users or members are able to build high-traffic websites. Solo Build It! crushes the competition every time.
Margit Streifeneder
Margit Streifeneder is the Marketing Co-Director at SiteSell. She works with a small but mighty team to spread the word about Solo Build It!, via helpful content, informative emails and eye-catching ads. She's passionate about helping solopreneurs achieve success, and enjoys interviewing SBI! members about their achievements. Besides growing her own online business, she loves exploring new places, hiking, dancing and spoiling her three cats.
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