If we’re lucky, we then experience a few days of buzz, retweets, and traffic spikes before it’s time to start working on our next post. We repeat the cycle and in a matter of a few weeks, what was once a prized creation is sitting at the bottom of a blog archive, rarely to be found again.

A few weeks ago I decided that I wanted to give a second life to some of my favorite blog posts. I also wanted to highlight those posts that were particularly good at creating conversions to my email list.

So I spent more time than I’d care to admit trying to find a WordPress plugin that would display the posts I wanted to in my sidebar. Yet all I found were tools that would choose the most popular posts based on the number of comments or views received.

Though a fun piece of data to share with your visitors, these “popular” posts are not always that useful. At least, they aren’t to me. Just because something gets a lot of views or comments doesn’t mean it’s a post that helps me reach my website goals (you have website goals that you’re measuring, right?).

I wanted to hand-select the posts that were displayed, so instead I found a plugin called Category Posts Widget. Here’s how I set it up to display the posts I wanted in my sidebar…

Install Category Posts Widget

From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.

Search for “Category Posts Widget”:

Install the plugin:

Activate the plugin:

Create A New Category

This plugin/widget displays posts from a specific category. So let’s create a category exclusive to the posts we want to highlight. Start by going to Posts > Categories:

Create a new category just for our featured posts:

Click the “Add New Category” button.

Add Posts To New Category

Now we need to decide which posts we want to feature, and add them to this category. To do so, let’s go to our list of posts (click on “Posts” in your dashboard sidebar).

For each post you want to feature, hover over that row and then click “Quick Edit”:

Under “Categories”, check the box of your newly created category:

Click “Update” to save your changes to each post.

Configure The Widget

Once you’ve added all the posts you want to your new category (knowing that you probably shouldn’t display more than 5), you need to set up the widget to display those posts. Go to your widgets via Appearance > Widgets:

Drag the “Category Posts” widget into your sidebar on the right:

Set the category to the new category you created and configure the widget to your liking:

I chose to feature 5 posts in random order. A couple of cool features I did not take advantage of were the ability to include a post excerpt and/or thumbnail. Find the presentation style that works best for you.

All Done

That’s it. If you look at the bottom of my sidebar, you’ll see a list of the articles I want to showcase. Hopefully you’re now showcasing your best work as well.

This post was created based on requests I got via Twitter and Facebook. Let me know in the comments if there’s a website-related topic that you’d like me to cover in an upcoming blog post.

There are many factors that have contributed to that, but one of the most significant boosts to the growth of this site has come from the partnerships I’ve forged. I’ve been lucky to connect with extremely smart and talented people who have offered me their feedback, support, and promotion of my work.

Partnerships have been invaluable in growing this website and community.

Getting started and getting seen can be tough. But the single best way I’ve found to get past some of the early road blocks and to start getting eyeballs on your content is to find and work with good partners.

This guide tells you exactly how I’ve found and connected with my partners.

Why Partners Are So Valuable

I could probably write an entire post on the value of quality partners, but here are the basics:

Partners bring new audiences. Partners expose you to an audience that you don’t have access to otherwise. Sometimes that’s hundreds of new people, sometimes it’s thousands. But the right partner with the right audience can grow your fan and customer count quickly.

Partners offer social proof. When a partner shares you with their audience, they are publicly endorsing you. Some partners will go above and beyond merely featuring you on their site and actually testify to your greatness. But even if they just share your content, you gain added credibility and authority from partners.

Partners provide insights and feedback. When you work with a partner, you receive feedback on whatever you are offering. Partners will tell you what’s worked with their audience in the past and will give you suggestions for changes that will help you make a bigger impact. Especially early on when it’s hard to get feedback on what you’re creating, this can be extremely important.

The Philosophy of a Strong Partnership

A few things to keep in mind when reaching out to potential partners:

Partnerships are not just about the benefit to you. Obviously, you are looking for partnerships because they provide a great benefit. You need to grow your audience and gain credibility. But that’s only a third of the equation. A good partnership will benefit you, your partner, and your partner’s audience. The stronger the benefit to all parties, the stronger the partnership and the greater the value you will get out of it. The more a partner benefits, the more willing they will be to make sure you benefit, too.

The partner is taking all the risk. More than likely, especially when you’re just starting out, you are seeking partnerships with people more established than you. People who have spent years building and cultivating their audience. By sharing you with their audience, by endorsing what you are offering, they are risking all the work they’ve put into growing their crowd.

If you bomb, it actually doesn’t affect you much at all because you don’t lose anything you already have. Your partner, however, loses credibility with the people they rely on for support. Remember this when you reach out to someone as a potential partner.

Partnerships take time. Consider both of the points above and recognize that it often takes time to build a partnership. If you are unestablished, you need to spend the time necessary for a partner to trust you. You need to spend time ensuring them of the value you provide to them and their audience. And, perhaps most importantly, you need to spend time getting to know them and giving them good reason to actually like you. People who like you make the absolute best partners.

What Makes An Ideal Partner

Consider the following criteria when searching for potential partners:

A large audience. Building a partnership takes time, so make sure you get a good return on that investment by focusing on partners that can deliver a reasonably sized audience. Consider the size of their social media audience, the number of comments they receive on their blog, and their email list size or RSS subscriber count, if those are provided.

That being said, don’t aim for the top of the food chain right off the bat. Pick someone a bit bigger than you, and as you grow, keep increasing the size of your target partners.

A relevant audience. A lot of people look for partners based on the content they create. This is the wrong angle. The problem with that is if you’re producing the same content as a potential partner, then A) you are less likely to offer new and unique value to them or their audience and B) they might see you as competition. While that shouldn’t necessarily eliminate a potential partner, it may be better to search for complimentary partners when you first start out.

A complimentary partner shares an audience demographic with you, but does not necessarily create the same content as you. For example, if you write about healthy food, finding a partner who writes about exercise could be a great match, especially if you can provide content about how healthy food affects strength, endurance, etc.

I create content about building better websites. I don’t look for partnerships with other people doing the same thing. Instead, I look for partnerships that expose me to audiences who want successful websites. Those can be people who talk about how to become better entrepreneurs, artists, writers, etc.

Find partners where you can help fill in a piece of their audience’s puzzle.

How To Find Partners

Okay, so now that you understand what’s at stake, let’s actually find some partners. Here are my favorite ways to find new partners:

Twitter conversations. If you don’t have a Twitter account, get one. Then start following people you admire and who meet the criteria above.

You can follow me here:
Follow @sethleonard

Notice who your potential partners follow, but more so, notice who they interact with. Notice whose links they share. Start following those people, too.

Not only does this create a list of potential partners, but you start to see who is most willing to share other people’s work. If someone only promotes their own stuff, they’re probably not going to be that open to sharing yours.

Make a list of potential partners from the people you follow on Twitter. We’ll cover what to do with that list a bit later.

Twitter lists. This might be my favorite way to find new partners. As you start to build a list of potential partners, pick a couple that would be really perfect for you. People who promote content that is complimentary to what you do. Go their Twitter profile page.

Click on Lists:

Then click on “Member of”:

You’ll then see every list that this person is a member of. Twitter lists can be created by any Twitter user and they group like-minded people together. That means that people listed along with your ideal partners may also be ideal partners.

Find group names that sound like a good pool of potential partners for you. For me, I look for lists like “entrepreneur coaches” or “small business influencers” (again, because I’m looking for the right target audience of potential partners).

Click on the list and then click on List members:

Read the bios of people on the list. Look for those who are serving the same audience you want to reach (a good bio should tell you this). Add potential partners to the list you’re creating.

Websites with guest posts. One of the best ways to get started with partnerships is guest posts. They are lower risks for the partners (as opposed to endorsing a product to buy) and allow you to introduce yourself and your value to both the partner and their audience. Guest posts can then lead to more involved partnerships.

Websites that are already featuring guests posts are more likely to feature your guest post.

Aside from paying attention to the websites of your potential partners, you can also try to find opportunities directly. Do a google search for “guest post” or “guest blog” plus your area of expertise or the type of audience you would like to reach. So I might search “guest post entrepreneurs.” If you write about exercise, you might search for “guest post exercise.”

You’re likely to find either websites with rules for guest posting (which is great, because they’re actively looking for guest posts) or websites already featuring guest posts.

Remember that potential partners might not want to feature similar guest posts, so you can also try following the guidance above for finding complimentary partners. So instead of “guest blog exercise” maybe search for “guest blog healthy lifestyle.” Add relevant sites to your list of potential partners.

Preparing To Contact Potential Partners

You now should have a list of potential partners. Here’s what to do BEFORE you contact them:

Spend time on their website. Look around their website. Take your time and really try to figure out what they’re all about. Spend at least 5 minutes looking around, hopefully more like 15. Set a timer if you have to. The more you know, the better. The less you know will be obvious to who you’re writing.

Read their latest blog posts and their about page.

Think about what their goals are for their website and what they’re looking for to be more successful.

Evaluate the engagement level and size of their audience. Check out the level of engagement on their website. Are people commenting on what they’re creating? Do they have a Twitter or Facebook following? Do they share their email list size (rarely) or RSS subscriber count (sometimes)? Again, you want to make sure they have an active audience large enough to make a partnership worth it to you.

Also consider who is commenting on their content. Are these the type of people you want to reach?

Laying the Groundwork

If you can, interact with potential partners a little bit first. Comment on a blog post or two. Retweet something they posted, or mention how much you like them on Twitter.

Doing so accomplishes two things: First, it puts you on their radar. They see your name, which might help when you do contact them. Secondly, it verifies that you like what they do, so when you write them and tell them how much you admire their work (see below), there’s a proven foundation for that.

Contacting Potential Partners

Once you’ve properly researched and vetted a potential partner, and possibly laid a little groundwork, you’re ready to contact them. If they provide an email address, use that. This will allow you to keep a copy of your message to them. If they don’t have an email address, they should have a contact form.

Try to store every message you send. If you have to use a contact form, save a copy in a text file. It’s useful to be able to see what messages got you a positive response, and it’s also good to be able to copy and paste snippets into new messages.

Also: keep a log of when you wrote each partner. It’ll keep you from writing someone twice, and will allow for follow-ups in the future (more on that later).

Your message to a potential partner should include:

Flattery. Tell them how great they are. People rarely stop reading when you’re telling them how much you like them. Give them a good sentence or two about how much you admire what they’re doing. Hopefully you mean it. Be specific in referencing things they’ve done that you like and why (recent blog posts are good).

An understanding of what they’re about. This is why you spend time on their site, to figure out what makes them tick. If they’re passionate about something, find it and relate to them with that information. If you can find something you relate to from an obscure part of their site, even better. It shows you’re paying attention.

A very quick description of who you are. Tell them who you are and what you do, very quickly. A sentence or two, tops. If you can’t do this succinctly, you should work on being able to do so first.

The value you can offer. Again, this is based on what you’ve learned about them. Use statements like “I see that you’ve been writing about X” or “Your audience really seems to be responding to Y.” Then share how you can deliver more of that.

Remember, potential partners are looking to benefit from this partnership, too. They’re not there to help you. So you better be offering something that enhances their standing with their audience. What you offer needs to create value for their audience and make them look good for sharing it.

If you have a great selling product you can offer them an affiliate partnership, but if that’s not the case, you need to be offering content of great value.

Personality. You’re going to get a lot further if people like you. Don’t go over the top, but as you can, provide bits of humor or your unique writing style.

References to past work. Don’t give them a list of everything you’ve done, but give them the option to check up on you. Write something like “You can see my writing style here” and then provide a link to your site. If you’ve done other guest posts or partnerships, point them to that. Again, keep this part short (one or two links).

Keep it short. Everyone’s busy. Keep the whole email as short as you can. I know it’s a lot to cover above, but try to keep everything to a sentence or two. No one wants to read a page long email from a stranger. Get in, make your points, and get out. Thank them for their time.

Next Steps

If you’re lucky, you’ll hear back from a number of the people you write. You’ll then need to build and foster a relationship with them and iron out the details of a mutually beneficial partnership.

That’s the time to give your very best. Don’t save your most valuable content for your own site. Instead, share the best you’ve got with your partner and their audience. Doing so will bring more people back your way.

But don’t expect to hear from everyone. People are busy and are working hard at making things happen for themselves.

You’ll know you’re doing a good job of writing if even your rejections get a friendly response. If you’re not hearing anything back at all, it probably means you’re either picking bad targets, or your emails aren’t covering all the points above.

If you get a “no thank you,” write back and tell them that you understand, and to keep you in mind if they see an opportunity for a partnership.

Following Up On Rejection

One thing that I’ve done, both with people who’ve told me that now is not a good time, as well as people I didn’t hear back from, is follow up later with a lower stakes request.

For example, when I ran a contest on my site giving away a free coaching package, I emailed people who I really wanted to partner with but previously got no response or a “no thank you.”

I acknowledged our previous correspondence as well as the fact that I’m sure they’re extremely busy. I then told them about the contest, touched briefly on the value of the contest to their audience, and asked if they could send out a tweet.

Then I actually wrote 3-4 tweets for them, telling them I wanted to make it as easy as I could.

A number of people sent the tweets, and a few of them thanked me for making it so easy for them. Down the road, a handful of those people became partners.

No matter what, continue to promote their work (Twitter is great for this)! Stay on their radar.

Consider asking them to do a guest post for you, or finding other ways to promote them. Show them that you do appreciate their work and that you weren’t just trying to partner for your own benefit. You’ll eventually convince a few of them to come around.

Conclusion

That’s it. Follow the guide above and I guarantee you’ll find partners who will grow your fan and customer base. Use the comments below to tell me your successes, or other tips you’ve found for forging partnerships. And if you’re interested in partnering with me, contact me here.

Below you’ll find a video interview in which I answer questions about building websites from Howard Kingston of Startup Remarkable.

Howard is a talented entrepreneur and likeable fellow, and he does two things with his website that I love. The first is that his website has a rock-solid focus: to make $1,000,000 in 999 days and tell the tale. Purpose and clarity are so important in building a successful website.

The second thing that Howard does is let his personality come through his website. His video interviews (as seen below) not only provide great value to his website visitors, but they let his audience see the person behind the website. We get to see his sense of humor, his sincerity, and all the other pieces of personality that allow us to connect with who he is.

Finding ways to share a more personal side in your work connects you with your audience. We should all look for ways to do so.

On that note, follow the link below to go to Howard’s site, where you can get a feel for my personality as well. In addition, we cover:

• The easy steps to take to create your own website
• The four different ways you can make money with your website
• How to build an email list and why you absolutely need one
• Tools and techniques for getting your website visitors to do what you want

Check it out:

When you’re done with the video, come back here and leave a comment. Tell me if you’d like to see more videos like this from me.

Every real trick or secret for becoming a social media star is actually something you probably already know.

I’ll explain.

Imagine a great salesperson or marketer. Someone who can sell ice in the winter.

Now imagine that they do their work over the phone. They call up prospects and make their pitch. They make sales in minutes.

Would you say that salesperson had great telephone strategy? Would you call them a telephone expert?

No, you wouldn’t. That’s because the telephone is just their communication tool. They could just as easily communicate in person, or via hand written letters, and do well, assuming their target audience also used that tool.

Social media is the same.

It is a communication tool. It is a way to get your message out, to have conversations, and to share ideas. And it’s great at doing all of that. But it’s still just a tool.

Just as an over-the-top pushy car salesman at a used car lot wouldn’t do any better with you over the phone, social media has no ability to magically make your communications better.

This is why it bothers me when social media “experts” suggest that they have secret formulas or guaranteed strategies for making you an instant success via social media.

That’s because there is really only one social media strategy, and it’s the basic strategy of any successful communication campaign: invest your time and engage your audience.

It’s the same strategy that has made communicators successful since the first caveman started selling shiny rocks to his tribe. Invest your time and engage with your audience. There are no shortcuts, no secrets, no automatic solutions.

You have to put in work.

The more you put in, the more you get out. Often, you need to give more in the beginning than you receive.

I can already hear the arguments. Someone is going to tell me that they grew their followers or fans in a short amount of time without putting in a lot of work. That their formula actually works.

This usually has to do with strategies like following thousands of strangers, buying ads, or leveraging an audience you already have outside of social media.

Unfortunately, these methods don’t work for everybody. And even if they do, a follower count does nothing for you unless you can convert those people into true fans. Fans who will share your content and buy what you’re selling.

The only way to do that? Invest time in the platform and engage with your audience.

Yes, if you’re just beginning, there are things you probably don’t know about getting started with social media. But it doesn’t take much to get you off the ground.

And once you’ve set up your Twitter account or Facebook Page, after you’ve added your photo and bio, after you’ve learned how to post and reply, you’re capable of doing what anybody else does with social media.

Here’s what those who are successful with social media do:

• they put in time on a daily basis (if not daily, almost daily)
• they engage in conversation (asking questions, replying, etc.)
• they do more than promote themselves (they provide value, quality content, and point fans towards others who do the same)

Yes, you can use social media simply as a distribution tool. You can use it as a method of sharing your content and promoting yourself to those who find you. It’s a cheap and easy way to make announcements. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But if you want to reach new and large audiences, you’re going to have to follow the most basic strategy of communication: invest your time and engage your audience.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

I do it. Most people I know do it.

Nevertheless, I see a lot of people having years just like the years they had before. How quickly January’s promise can become February’s procrastination.

So instead of making a New Year’s resolution, let’s take a New Year’s action.

Let’s launch a website.

Let’s launch the website you’ve been thinking you should start. The website that will change everything.

And let’s not wait until it’s the perfect time, because there isn’t one. Let’s not wait until you have the perfect content mapped out, because that will evolve.

Let’s not wait any longer.

One of my goals for 2012 is to bring as much success as I possibly can to others. So I’m starting the year by taking action. Today I’m releasing a free course that will guide you through each step of planning, building, and launching your own website.

In four days.

It’s called The Web Launch.

The course is completely self-paced, and I walk you through everything you need to know via videos, worksheets, and clear, step-by-step written tutorials.

You can learn more here, or you can get started right now:

I hope to see you inside the course.

Keep it short. People are travelling, packing, shopping, wrapping presents, and attending parties. Your online audience is smaller and more distracted than usual. Don’t expect much, and don’t use this time to launch the project you’ve been dreaming of all year.

Stand out. Know that many of the other people creating content at this time of year are also going to be using similar holiday themes. Try to be unique.

Give. Focus more on the giving part of the holidays than the receiving. Spend some time talking about causes you believe in. Consider making a donation to a charity you care about and encouraging others to do the same.

Be personal. The holidays offer an excuse to share a bit about yourself, whether it’s talking about what zany traditions you celebrate or what you hate most about sleeping in your childhood bedroom. Take the opportunity to let your tribe know a little about you as a person.

That’s it. A quick list to check twice before posting content this holiday season.

But before you go grab yourself a glass of egg nog, do me a favor. Leave a comment below and tell me either a) your favorite holiday tradition or b) a charity you support.

For each of the first 20 comments, I’ll donate $5 to my local food bank. During a time of the year that I feel a little indulgent with the food I eat, it’s important to remember how many people are struggling to get a nutritious meal.

And while I’m waiting for you to do that, I’ll be working on a funny New Year’s card that highlights the good times I’ve had this year. Like camping with my wife less than 15 miles away from our house. Or catching a foul ball at a minor league game in Albuquerque. Go ‘Topes!

Happy Holidays,
Seth

“How do I get my website to be #1 on Google?”

My answer used to be more nuanced. But now it’s simply “you don’t.”

Trust me, I get why this is so appealing. It’s enticing to think of thousands of visitors actively searching for what you’re offering and finding your site without you having to pay a dime.

And that’s exactly why it’s probably not going to happen. That’s because…

There are more than ten people who want the same thing

Let’s say you run a small business that makes dog collars. They’re handmade, beautiful, affordable, and dogs love them. You want people to find you when they search “dog collars.”

The problem is that if there are more than ten people like you who are aiming to be on that first page of search results, then there’s just not enough room for everybody. I can probably think of ten big pet companies right now that want it as much as you do.

Unless you are willing to spend more time and effort than all but nine of your competitors to improve your search engine ranking, you will not be guaranteed that spot. But even if you could get there, it might be short lived, because…

The rules are constantly changing

Here is a partial list of the elements that search engines have used to determine their rankings over the years:

• page title
• meta keywords
• meta description
• number of times a keyword appears on a page
• how early a keyword appears on a page
• use of a keyword in headings
• the number of other pages that link to your website
• the quality of the other pages that link to your website

And so on. The algorithms that search engines are using to determine their rankings are becoming increasingly complicated.

That means that there is no silver bullet for ranking as high as you want, or feel you deserve. It is not a fixed target that you can simply follow the steps to hit.

If you really want to, you can play the search engine optimization (SEO) game. But if you do, expect that you’ll be playing it for a long time and dedicating a lot of resources to it, probably at the expense of other efforts that are critical to your success. And your results will not be guaranteed.

The good news is that there are much better ways to increase traffic to your website. Here are a few of the most important:

#1 Create quality content

The most consistent SEO tactic I have ever seen work is quality content. As Google has changed its algorithms and everyone has tried to exploit each new method, the one thing that has produced good results for a long period of time is great content.

Do you know what Google has been trying to deliver since their first day in operation? Quality content that people like.

So, that’s your task: create quality content that people like. Don’t alter your content to try to make it rank higher. Over the years I’ve seen people put keywords in their titles where they didn’t belong, add hundreds of links to the bottom of their website, build multiple sites, and generally do everything but create quality.

It doesn’t work and it makes you look cheap.

#2 Encourage sharing

You know the best way to encourage sharing? Create quality content that people like (sorry, couldn’t help myself). Then add some share buttons. Easy.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog post called The Five Key Elements Your Website Must Have, No Matter What You’re Offering. A lot of people liked it. It got liked on StumbleUpon over 600 times. That, plus some Twitter and Facebook links, have brought over 1,000 people to that page in less than two weeks.

#3 Do some basic SEO

No, you shouldn’t ignore search engines completely. Just don’t break your back trying to game the system. But there are some basics that you absolutely should do:

Create short, descriptive titles. Let people (and search engines) know what the page is about.

Describe your links. Don’t do this: “click here for dog collars.” Do this: “we’ve got great dog collars.”

Use text. Don’t use images as the main method for describing your site. If the name and tagline for your website only appear in an image, figure out a way to make them text that is also written on your site. Search engines can’t read images.

Create a sitemap. This allows search engines to know when you have new content. If you’re using WordPress, I recommend Google (XML) Sitemaps Generator for WordPress.

Google itself also has some great tips. Here are some of my favorites that I took directly from their website:

• Create a useful, information-rich site, and write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content.
• Think about the words users would type to find your pages, and make sure that your site actually includes those words within it.
• Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines.
• Avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings. A useful test is to ask, “Does this help my users? Would I do this if search engines didn’t exist?”

#4: Be unique

Don’t just write about “dog collars.” Write about “handmade dog collars,” “artisan dog collars,” or “comfortable dog collars.” It’s better to rank higher for something that is not searched for as often than to rank poorly for something searched for often.

Just don’t get too obscure.

All that said, let’s have a little fun. If you could be #1 for any search term you wanted, what would it be? Let me know in the comments below. Mine is “build a website.” Curious to hear yours.

I’ve seen it stop people from building websites before they even got started.

And I’ve seen a few early setbacks derail some pretty good ideas.

Failure gets us confused, discouraged, defeated, or all of the above.

Earlier this year, I had a few significant failures. And they were the best possible thing for me. Here’s why:

Failure gets you to think for yourself

When you want to improve an aspect of your website or online business, you often look to others for guidance on how to make it happen. Then you implement the steps you learn as best you can.

Usually, to some extent, the end result doesn’t turn out exactly as you had dreamed. While this can definitely be the result of bad advice, you should not always assume that is the sole reason something didn’t work for you.

Because you can and will fail, even when you’re given good advice.

And the main reason for that is that no two situations are exactly the same. Even the best and clearest guidance needs to be adjusted to fit your specific needs.

Recommendation: when you fail, dissect the guidance you were given. Take the overall concept within the advice and then create your own implementation of it. Something that’s right for you.

Ultimately, your success is going to depend on you. There is no how-to manual for every step you need to reach your dream. The further you get, the more you’re going to have to rely on your own way of thinking, making decisions based on your own direct experience.

The only way to do that is to take someone else’s model, see what works and what fails, and then learn how to adjust what doesn’t work to make it succeed for you. Not only will you improve, but your next step will be much clearer because…

Failure eliminates options

Confusion can be debilitating. You don’t know where to start, you don’t know what to do next, or you don’t know who’s advice to listen to. When faced with a sea of options, sometimes it’s easier to just sit it out and ignore them all. That’s a mistake.

If you’re looking to eliminate options, stop waiting for success. It’s really fun when something works, but success doesn’t eliminate options. Perhaps you chose option A over B and A worked. But how do you know that B wouldn’t have worked better?

(I don’t mean to frighten you with the thought of your own success. If A works, then celebrate.)

But if A didn’t work, that’s good, too. It means you don’t have to worry about A ever again. You can focus on B. And the next time you’re faced with two options, let’s say C and D, you might be able to eliminate C, which reminds you a lot of A.

Creating a path to success relies as much on eliminating options as it does finding those that work.

Recommendation: celebrate your failures as the elimination of options.

Celebrate that you took action and learned something. A lot of people don’t even go that far. That’s because…

Failure separates you from the pack

Right now you are failing at something. It might be failing to get started, failing to improve, or failing to reach your potential.

But you are not alone.

There are lots of other people right now failing at the exact same thing you are. They aren’t getting started. They aren’t growing their audience. They aren’t selling their products. Whatever it is, they are stuck in the same spot you are.

So here’s your opportunity.

People quit when they fail.

So if you can take just one more step forward, you are going to leave all those people behind. They’re going to quit right where you currently are, and you’re going to pass them. There goes some of your competition. Congratulations.

The more failures you work through, the more people you are leaving behind who are unwilling to take that extra step past the discomfort, the disappointment, and the confusion of failure.

They are bewildered by failure and are ready to give up.

You, however, are excited by failure. You know that it will make you stronger. It will make you smarter. It will make your path clearer. And it will take you past those who don’t know this.

Recommendation: know that every failure you move past means less competition for you. So…

Let’s leave some people in the dust

What are you failing at right now? How can you use it to adjust a given solution, eliminate an option, or push past those who can’t? Let me know in the comments below.

What were the failures I had earlier this year? I failed to bring myself into my business and I failed to connect with you on a human level. Speaking of which, I’m also failing to stay healthy and am currently sick. Anyone have any good cold remedies?

However, there are a few things, no matter what, that your website absolutely must have. I’ve put together the following list of five key elements you should be sure to include with your site:

#1: A Place To Start

This is usually your homepage, but it’s so much more than the first page that someone lands on when they come to your site. Your place to start needs to let people know, quickly and easily, what your site is about.

What are you offering and why should they stay?

Far too often, especially with blog sites, the dominant element of the homepage is the most recent blog post. Well, what if your most recent blog post was slightly off-topic (perhaps a rant about spending Thanksgiving with your family)?

While I encourage you to stay on topic with everything you write, it’s impossible that every post you produce is going to sum up the mission of your website.

Providing this information doesn’t need to be over the top and take up half your homepage. Sometimes it’s a well written tag line that appears at the top of your website. Sometimes it’s a couple sentences that say who you are and what you do.

It can even be a pitch for something you’re selling or something that you want your visitors to do when they’re at your site. For example: “Learn how to write the book hidden inside of you. Click here.” That call to action also lets your audience know what they can expect throughout your website.

Just make it obvious.

Let them know what to expect. And get them excited about it.

If you don’t want to devote a lot of space to it on your homepage, then include a “Start Here” link in a prominent position. Then put your basic introduction on that page.

#2: An About Page

People love about pages. Right after they get the jist of your website (see above), they want to know what you’re about. Whether you’re an individual blogger, a large organization, a startup, or a dude selling plumbing parts out of your house, people always click on your about page.

They want to know what makes you tick.

So tell them. And don’t be boring. Unless you have an amazing resume that reads like a Dos Equis commercial, you should add some personality.

Your audience wants to know what sets you apart from everyone else. They want to know what motivates you. They want to know how you got to where you are.

It’s great to offer testimonials, accomplishments, or career highlights. But don’t leave it at just that. Offer a little bit of your story. You’ll be surprised at how much fun it is, as well as how much more interest you’ll receive from your audience.

Creating my about page was one of my favorite things I’ve done for this website.

#3: Content

This should be obvious, but I can’t leave it off the list. You need to have something for your audience to consume. It can be one thing, or it can be many things. It can be a photo, a daily poem, or a series of essays.

It can be something you’re selling, or even a question you’re asking. It can be whatever you want.

And while it’s obvious that your website needs this, it’s often something we overlook as we focus on marketing, selling, building our audience, etc. Don’t take your content for granted. Put your heart into it and create something amazing.

Create something that has your audience waiting for you to do it again.

#4: An Opportunity To Take Action

I love great content. But great content inspires action. You need to give your audience the opportunity to take action.

Here is something I recommend you do often: think about your ideal visitor coming to your website for the first time. They see your ‘place to start’ and are intrigued, so they continue. Then they explore your about page, or your most recent content, and they’re hooked.

They love what you do and how you present yourself.

Now what?

Give them something to do. Let them take the next step. Give them the opportunity to further their investment in you by signing up for something, buying something, downloading a resource, joining your email list, etc. Bring them into your club.

Even if it’s just encouraging them to share something with their friends, give them a method to act on their excitement, to do more than just consume content.

Let them act.

#5: The Ability To Contact You

It doesn’t matter how you offer it, but you need to let people contact you. You can post your email address, or if you’re worried about privacy and spam, you can create a contact form. Or you can direct people to Facebook or Twitter and have them contact you there.

There are two reasons you need this. The first is that people like to know you’re accessible. If you offer no method to contact you, you create a wall between you and your audience. It’s harder for them to connect with you and trust you.

Even if they never reach out to you, it sends a strong message that you are willing to let people contact you.

The second reason you need this is that you never know who is going to contact you. You might get a lot of people asking you questions, but you might also get someone offering you the opportunity of a lifetime. Leave that door open, even if it’s just for the odd chance at receiving something amazing.

That’s it. Five elements your website absolutely must have. You can (and should) put your own spin on all of these, but they’re essential to building a website that connects you with your audience in an authentic way.

How do you plan to implement these on your website? Let me know in the comments.

I could just as easily follow this ritual for New Year’s, and I still use that yearly transition to do some reflecting and goal setting. And I know I’m not alone. As we draw near the end of 2011, many of us already have an eye towards 2012.

I plan on doing some amazing things in 2012. I want you to do something amazing, too, and I’m ready to help.

Here’s how: I’m running a contest to award 2 lucky winners a FREE and complete website strategy and roadmap package with me.

This contest is now closed. Winners were announced by email on Wednesday, November 23, 2011.

The best way to stay informed of upcoming promotions, as well as to receive tips, insights, and strategies for building a website that changes everything, is to join my email newsletter:

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