Ever wanted to start your own Get Paid To (GPT) business on the internet? Completing offers and surveys for money online has been a thriving industry in 2009, as more people have begun to look for reliable sources of alternative income in recessionary times.

In part one, we talked about how you should come up with your concept and lay the groundwork by signing up with affiliate networks and filing licensing agreements. Now, we will talk a bit more about setting up the actual system, and how you can eventually get your website designed and marketed professionally to have long term success. Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need

In order to successfully make your corporate vision a reality, you will need to do a few things. First, we need to find a compelling script to run our website. There are many pre-made software platforms online already that can get you started with your own GPT website, so picking the right one is especially important. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone go out and hire a coder for a custom-built platform until you start pulling in at least $1,000 in net profit every month. Second, we have the issue of design. It is very important that your website is not only functional, but easy on the eyes, so make sure you hire a reliable designer from the get go if you can. Finally, we will need to market our business once it is online, so I will discuss some of those tactics as well.

Our steps to success:
1. Choosing a Platform
2. Designing the Website
3. Growing Your Member Base

1. Choosing the Right GPT Platform

There are many so-called “incentive” or “GPT” scripts floating around on the internet. The most popular is without a doubt a service called “ShiftCode.” I highly advise against using this platform, as it is one of the worst. On top of lacking the customization ability, ShiftCode is easily sniffed out as “amateur” and many people will be immediatly turned off from using your website. If you are looking for the easiest path, go ahead and order up… but I would only hope that you aren’t looking for the easiest option, but the best option.

Instead, I would highly recommend that you go ahead and purchase a professional system for $100-$500. If you are serious about owning your own company, this will be pennies to you in a few months time. I have tried and tested many of these, and I believe that these top three options are truthfully your best options:

1. FSRevolution (Editor’s Choice! - USE COUPON “THENETFOOL”)
2. Cash Crusader
3. Aurora GPT Script

I actually own and currently use FSRevolution, and it is definitely superior to it’s peers. First off, I wouldn’t recommend that you use anything other than these “top three” as most systems nowadays are broken down with no more support available. FSRevolution actually has people posting on a daily basis in the forums, and they are actively signing into new partnerships so you can have offers available for you to promote to your users faster than ever.

2. Designing the Website

Going along with the first part of this series, I believe that if you don’t have a great design in place, than you simply won’t be getting the kind of traffic that you deserve (and crave). The bottom line here is that visitors don’t trust websites that look like they were built overnight, so you should spend an extraordinary amount of time shoring up your website and making everything look as good as possible.

Color scheming is very important with any GPT website, and I have seen some pretty bad combinations (none of which have ever succeeded as websites). In addition, it is essential to use the most lively graphics and high-tech logo/identity options that are available. I, myself, am in no way a graphic design professional. Therefore, I typically contract out all of my work. There are many websites where you can go to hire freelance designers, and they honestly do great work. I have worked most with, and would conversely recommend, either oDesk.com or GetAFreelancer.com. With both combinations, you get a way to interview your candidates beforehand to see who is really the best man (or woman) for the job. I’ve had some great work done very inexpensively here, and will actually be displaying a design I had made in an undisclosed project I have been working on shortly.

Don’t be hesitant to pour in $200-$400 for an initial design. You can always upgrade, but I find that sticking in a lower range keeps things reasonable on your books… allowing you to get “net positive” on your investment sooner rather than later.

3. Growing Your Member Base

Now that you have the software in place, along with a killer design, it is time to pick apart the daunting task of marketing. Honestly, because the industry has so many “crash and burn” websites around, it is very difficult to have much success in posting randomly throughout the internet like you could potentially do in another niche. Instead, I recommend the following:

Jimvesting’s Cookbook for GPT Site Traffic:

1. Join other GPT websites and participate
2. Focus on Google search engine keywords
3. Start up a contest, and advertise it around!

If you are starting up your own website, the first thing that you will want to do is actually to join your competitor’s websites. Why would this make sense? Well, by becoming a member of other websites, you can use this to turn their users against themselves and steal them away! I would join up any GPT website that has a forum, and slide a link to your own website in your forum signature. Start forum marketing from within your competitors’ businesses, and you can get a great user base coming in for lasting success. After all, if they are active on another website, they will make you more money than the average user.

Your second option, and perhaps a trickier option, is to get focused on Google keywords. If you can hit on the top of Google search results for things like “complete surveys for prizes” (just a random example), you could start to rake in new users that don’t know the big sites from the small. Because of this, I feel that it is imperative that you start to open up a Google SEO campaign to get your website on the top of the charts as soon as you can. I don’t want to get into marketing too much here, since this post is not about that, but you can check out more information in one of my old articles on Google SEO.

Finally, you should be offering some incentive to switch, and I would recommend a contest. Many of the people who you will be recruiting are going to be members of other GPT websites. Because of this, you need to prove yourselves to everyone that you are truly the best in the business… you are the company that they want to trust to pay them time and time again. In order to encourage users to sign up to your gpt website and use your services, you should start by giving away lots of prizes and gift cards (on top of the money that members are already earning) to boost your stats. Why not offer them extremely high payouts for a time? It will hurt your margins, but it will really drive your growth.

Bottom Line: I hope that you enjoyed this two part series on making your own GPT website. Hopefully, you have all learned a lot about making your own GPT company, which is something that I have actually done myself and have been mildly successful in. Once everything is up and running, you really start going when you gain entry into new affiliate networks, and more and more users start to come in. Eventually, it will be a momentum story and you will start to make money with little to no work!

-Jimvesting

The following is a sponsored post, but has not been swayed by payment for the review.

As many of you know, I host all of my websites currently with Host Gator. Where you decide to host your website is one of the most important decisions you will ever make in owning web property. It sounds a bit strange, doesn’t it? I mean, really, it’s just a spot to put my files… it’s all about the content, isn’t it? Well, this is exactly how I thought about hosting until I started getting complaints about poor loading times with my old web-host (prior to my switch).

Once complaints started racking up, I knew that I had to make a change… even if it was a bit pricier. After all, if nobody can see your website, then you are out of luck regardless. I have had my fair share of problems with Host Gator, and I’d probably want to change services soon… the problem is that it is SUCH a hassle that it is almost not worth it. For this purpose, buying hosting is an essential step in starting your site, and I would recommend using Host Monster!

Ranking With The Best!

I’ve checked out all of the major web hosting ranking services, and without a doubt Host Monster is always a top competitor. With “grades” ranking anywhere from 92-to-99 out of 100, I think that they make a compelling story to use their services over competitors. Really, the only downgrades have come from “usability” or “control panel” (which we will assume are referring to the same things). However, when I tore apart their user system I found no problems… and actually liked it BETTER than Host Gator! Both use cPanel-based systems… which is the leading configuration panel software. You can check out their demo login system here. So I have no issues with that at all!

What I really appreciate on Host Monster is their support service. Unlike most of their peers, they do NOT outsource their call center. What does this mean? Essentially, you are getting a fast connection (they claim under 2 minutes) with a person who understands what you are talking about. Let’s face it, problems happen… but when they do, why not get a good support system to process your request in a speedy fashion, eh?

Enough Features to Feed a Family

It sounds a bit corny, but Host Monster really packs a punch on their feature list. What really jumps off the page is that they not only offer Unlimited Space (which we are seeing more and more these days), but they are offering Unlimited Bandwidth (a fancy word for site traffic and activity)! They support unlimited domain names on each account, and even have their own website builder, traffic statistics and shopping cart software included.

When you are looking for a new web hosting service, it is important to keep in mind what they do and don’t support as far as scripting services. You want to be able to run anything that you want (within reasonable limits) on your server, and Host Monster really steps up to the plate here offering CGI, Perl, MySQL, PHP, SSI, Javascript, Flash and more! One thing is for sure, these guys know what it takes to be a big provider… and they now have almost half a million customers as a result of this expertise.

Professional Reliability and Support

As I hinted at above, you can almost throw everything else away and just focus on reliability and support options. Clearly, their call centers are some of the best… and this is a great aspect of the company. However, there is really a lot more to consider in this picture. For starters, Host Monster won the 2006 hosting award for “Most Reliable Hosting Provider,” which should tell you a thing or two about how they run things. Why? I believe this is because of their backup system. Not only are systems guaranteed to see uptime of 99% across the board… but you get daily site backups! This sounds like something that is simply obvious, but you would be surprised how many companies either don’t offer this, or charge extra for the service. I know that Host Gator doesn’t do this well, so this is an interesting buying point for Host Monster over the rest.

Bottom Line: When looking across the range of web hosting providers there are to consider today, it can be quite a nerve-wrecking decision. I recommend, as always, that you stick to the big guns here. Host Monster is one of the biggest providers on the internet, and with a low $4.95/month price tag it is more than affordable to trust these guys with your website!

-Jimvesting

Have you ever come across a website promising a free prize? Maybe they just give out seemingly “free” money to you like Cash Crate or Treasure Trooper do? These websites are referred to as “Get Paid To,” or GPT, programs… and the secret is that they are very profitable for the business owner. Imagine if you had an advertiser willing to pay you $1 per sign up, and you could get 1,000 people to do it for $0.50… sounds crazy? It’s not! The Get Paid To business model is still holding up in these bad times, and I want to get you in the game.

First of all, a brief disclosure.  I am not going to encourage all of you to drop what you are doing and start a business. There are a lot of GPT websites out there because it is so profitable, so you have to be a hard-worker if this is going to work. Additionally, a bit of background information would help immensely. Tons of GPT websites are started on a daily basis… and there are really only 50 “established” websites. Because too many people get started, and then stop working and give up, the GPT line of work is something that you should be interested in before getting into it.

I want to break up this series on how to make your own GPT website into two parts. First, we will cover getting started up… including things like forming your concept and organizing paperwork. Second, we will get into the actual systems that you can use to get your dream into reality. I think that all of you have the capabilities to be entrepreneurs… and the industry absolutely thrives in bad times when people are increasingly looking for second incomes. Let’s get going!

Step One: Think Up A Brilliant Idea

Here’s the key to running a successful GPT website… are you ready for it? The key to running a successful GPT website is holding your visitors’ attention! Okay, okay… so right now you are thinking that I am wrong, right? It’s not the entertainment business, I’m not making movies here. In effect, the entire function of GPT is to make money… so who cares if it’s fun or not… right?

This is where I think that many people slip up. Having a concept that really hits it out of the ball park is more important than anyone else thinks. Why? Clicking in an out of offers is BORING! In general, people will start giving up and not frequently visiting your website like they should if there is nothing interactive about it. Visitors lose focus, and stop caring about the $0.50 light at the end of the tunnel. As a businessman, it is your job to keep your guests working on your site, and conversely bringing in more revenue for your business.

Let’s check out some examples. Treasure Trooper is the webs #1 GPT by foot traffic, and #2 on our list of the Best GPT Websites for 2009. Why? They play off of the whole “tribal adventure” theme, and everything on the site makes you feel like you are running through the jungle collecting gold coins and fighting bad guys. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but because there is an interactive storyline surrounding their service… it is very hard to leave the computer screen, and that is exactly what we want!

The moral of the story is that you need a killer idea, or “theme” if you will, in order to run a successful business. Start thinking about just how you are going to captivate your audience… and put it in motion! You should jot down a few ideas, make it a bit more fine tuned, and look for the next big idea that you think people will enjoy and keep coming back for.

Step Two: Removing the Personal Liability From Your Business

We talked last week about how to start a business. Essentially, owning a business is all about removing personal liability (at least in the way that I think of it). When you really get down to it, anyone can run a “business.” However, unless you are fully registered and protected as a legal entity, your personal assets are at 100% risk. Therefore, by registering for an LLC. (recommended) or S-Corp., you will be removing personal liability from the equation and greatly enhancing your upside.

There are a few steps to take here, and I think that you should do all of the following before you officially open up your new “get paid to” website for business:

1. Register an LLC. or S-Corp
2. Draw Up Articles of Organization
3. Protect Your Service with a Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

It might be a bit of work on the front end, but don’t think that it is not a necessary step. Trust me, you will feel a lot better being able to sleep at night when you have some kind of downside “insurance” if you will.

Step Three: Forming Partnerships with Affiliate Networks

Now comes the tricky part, you need a way to offer your customers “incentivized” offers and surveys to complete for cash. What you need, instead of going to advertisers individually, is a middleman marketer… or what we call an affiliate network. In a nutshell, this is a company that services ads from advertisers and let’s you market them for profit. Typically, you can gauge how “good” a network is based on how many offers they have and how well they pay in relation to other networks. Yes, that’s right, all affiliate networks are not equal.

Because of a recent onslaught of fraud and defaulting, many networks are a bit concerned with allowing traffic through incentivized. However, unline many would have you think, there are still quite a few willing competitors on the market to service your account. Here is a list of some of the best ones just to get you started:

• AzoogleAds
• Hydra
• CPAStorm
• MaxBounty
• IncentaClick
• Commission Junction
• ClickBooth
• Copeac

Remember, NEVER advertise a non-incentivized advertisement on your GPT website. This will result in an immediate ban from your affiliate manager. You can only use the affiliate offers as they are designated to be used, and every network will tell you this information on the main page of the affiliate offer. This is just a word of caution before you start breaking rules!

Bottom Line: Get Paid To programs are increasing in popularity as household disposable income decreases around the world. If you have an entrepreneur spirit, it’s not hard to use this to your advantage and start your own GPT business! We’ve laid the groundwork, come back tomorrow for a look at how you can set it all in motion and actually build up your GPT empire!

-Jimvesting

The following post is a sponsored listing of Eyepinch, but the content and opinion has not been swayed by the nature of payment

Many new business starters have problems tapping into the internet in an effective manner. Since not all businesses have a focus on information technology, it’s a bit tough to know who to trust with your design, hosting and online-based systems. Rather than default to these so-called “big ticket” companies like Template Monster… it is much more effective to take a look at boutique services.

With a smaller sized firm, you not only get a better serviced account… but you actually get better work by far! How can this be possible? In my experience, when dealing with bigger companies… they are too concerned with getting you in and out to work with you in a productive manner. Additionally, the “best” designers won’t work for these major firms because they understand that they will underpay employees to milk out the most corporate profit. The clear choice for me has and will continue to be boutique design shops, and one of my favorites is Eyepinch!

Brilliant Design and Brilliant Past Works

The first thing that you will notice when you visit Eyepinch Web Design is… well… their design! This sounds like something so obvious for a web design firm, but you would be surprised how many websites look downright “average” from so-called design specialists. The website at Eyepinch.com is one of the best I have seen, ever. They do a really creative job animating a flash-based template… and it is simply a cool looking website that you want to associate yourself with.

Eyepinch’s slogan is “the convergence of design and technology,” and they really do walk the walk! Looking across their portfolio yields hundreds of pages of past works, and all of them are of the highest quality. The convergence of design and technology really lends itself to their work… as everything is very “cutting edge” across the board. It would seem that these guys just don’t settle for anything less.

Too Many Services to Count!

As a part of reviewing their website and business, I figured that it would be useful to list through some of their services. However, this task becomes downright impossible when a company does seemingly everything under the sun. Their big hitting points are, in my opinion, with their brand development tools. Essentially, you can have Eyepinch take your business and create an entire identity!

In addition to the corporate identity service, Eyepinch has their own web hosting branch to get you online. With this, they can provide services in Search Engine Optimization, E-Commerce and even marketing! Perhaps you are a complete novice when it comes to web development? Eyepinch has a training service where they can take you through the steps to get you caught up in practically any aspect of the web so that you don’t have to come back over and over to a professional service. This speaks miles for the company, and says to me that they are really more concerned for client relationships than anything else.

Great Management and Transparency

If you are looking for a designer, and somebody that you can actually work with at that, I would definitely trust the guys over at Eyepinch Web Design. Perhaps I have a bit of a bias since they are based close to where I reside, but after having spoken with the team I can tell that they do good work. Additionally, their website is very telling… as they don’t seem to be hiding any scars. From what I have seen, they are entirely client-focused and will work with you until your project is carried out to perfection!

Bottom Line: I believe that if you are looking for a web designer or consultant, you want to stick with the smaller boutique companies, rather than the big dogs. Quality and Eyepinch.com really go hand in hand… and their portfolio brings quite a bit to the table. With this in mind, I do indeed recommend their services!

-Jimvesting