Name of your website?The Self Help Audio Site
Your name?
Sheila Musonza
Your Location (city, etc)
London
Please give us a short summary of your website?
As the title suggest we offer a good selection of quality Self Help audio books. We have Motivational, Success and Alternate Therapy audio books. You can download and listen to a free sample before buying and there is a 30day money back guarantee.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
In the 1990's I lost all my siblings, 4 brothers to AIDs and 1 sister to diabetis, I also lost my martenal grandparents. This was a very difficult time for me and I found it extremely hard to cope with the bereavements. I was very angry with everyone, my parents, God and my so called friends who all of a sudden were very busy when I phoned for a chat. I desperate for a release from the feeling of helplessness I was going through. My doctor prescribed Prozac which I didn't take(nursing background to blame lol) she also recommended counselling and this did help a little. In desperation I decided to try Self Help books and tapes sceptically of course having majored in Psychology. Some helped some did not but overall I discovered through them that to get the relief I was seeking I had to do it from inside and really dig deep and deal with certain issues however unpleasant. The journey was long hard and painful but I made it. Since then it has become my passion share this with those who are feeling as I did and those who just want to improve the quality of their lives in general. Before I came across downloadable audio books all I did was use word of mouth recommending books to spread the word. With audio books I saw an opportunity to spread Self Help to a circle of people including those who have been unfortunate enough not to be able to read and those whose site is failing.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
This is my first website and it was launched in 2007
How did you decide on a name for your website?
I used my own name with a combination of my niche's keywords. I wanted to reassure people that there was a real person behind the site and also let them know exactly what the site was all about just by looking at the site name.
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
I have used Self Help material and I know from personal experience that when approached with an open mind and used as part of one's life it actually can work in improving your quality of life. So I would like to think that my passion and enthusiasim will come through and enable me to build lasting relationships with my customers
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
Keep it for income for the time being
Does investing lots of time and money guarantee your success?
Investing lots of time and money does not neccesarily guarantee success. My experience to date has been that, to be successful on the internet you need a hot product, a list and be very good at marketing while building a personal relationship with your customers so that they will keep coming back to you time after time. Some top internet marketers that I have personally met at internet marketing seminars like Frank Garon, Andrew Reynolds all started with very little money. However they had to invest quite a bit of time in the beginning but not now.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would start a forum where registered users could meet and discuss any issues related to Self Help and support each other
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
I should think so but I will only be able to tell when that happens
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
What has been your biggest challenge?
Driving targeted traffic to the site has been and still is the biggest challenge
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
I am still in the process of putting the different methods ie articles, blogging, posting in forums etc in place so I don't have enough data to make a meaningful comparison at the moment
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Before having my own website I thought it was going to be easy, all I had to was find a hot niche, build a site, put it up, sit back, and watch the money coming in in. However the reality has been rather different, a shock to the system. It has been quite a steep learning curve. There has been times I have had to put everything on hold because of information overload. Everyone is promising you the best system that will send tons and tons of traffic to your site which turns out to useless. Luckily for me I have not been tempted to take up their offers due to limited funds and a little sceptism. The bottom line is running a website requires dedication patience and most importantly you must at least like or enjoy what you are doing
What is your website address?
The Self Help Audio Site
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