Dale King Interviews Website Conversion Expert, Dan Lok

Dan Lok: I started by pure accident in 2002. I was a successful copywriter offline. A webmaster approached me and he said, “Dan, don't be a dinosaur! You need a presence on the Net; Let me build a website for you!”

I decided to go ahead, “Heck, why not?” I thought. Thirty days later, my website launched into cyberspace. At that time, I was only marketing my copywriting service AND a couple of copywriting products.

Dale King: Some Internet Marketing experts advise newbie’s to steer clear of certain areas in Internet Marketing, like selling e-books on how to make money, advertising services, SEO services, copywriting, etc., because those particular niches are deemed to be "too competitive." Do you agree with that assessment?

Dan Lok: I agree with that. I’ll explain why. First, I know a lot of copywriters who are broke and struggling to get clients. I believe the #1 reason that 90% of newbie’s don’t make money is in part because they market highly competitive products in over-saturated areas.

One of the most frequently questions I get asked is, "Dan, why should I market online?"

My reply is always, "It depends." Just because somebody is making a ton of money using adsense in a certain niche, it doesn’t mean you should jump into that. Most newbie’s have ADD, you know, attention deficit disorder. They jump from one moneymaking idea to another; they jump from one business opportunity to another. But they never ask the question, "Am I qualified to sell this product or service?"

By qualified, I mean, what you have done or what experience do you have that puts you in the position to sell this product or service?

Why you? Why this product? Why this market? Why should YOUR target market BELIEVE you? What makes you different? What makes you unique?

So, if you haven’t made a dime online, then don’t try selling ebooks on how to make money online. Don’t teach about prosperity if you are broke. And don’t sell weight loss products if you’re 200 pounds overweight! It’s just common sense!

This might sound so simple, but I see people making this same mistake over and over again, and that is why they fail.

When you are qualified to sell a product, you can build credibility – and credibility is critical to making money online and building a stable and successful business.

Dale King: How is Internet Marketing different now, as opposed to when you first got started online?

Dan Lok: Good question. I think the Internet is changing dramatically. It’s getting more and more competitive simply because the barrier to entry is so low. Anyone can start an online business in your niche tomorrow and compete with you. It forces you to be a better and smarter businessperson.

On top of that, you have spam filter issues and emails not getting delivered. Marketing costs are skyrocketing, like those associated with PPC and other forms of advertising. What all this means is it’s getting more and more difficult for a newbie with no experience and little capital to start an internet business and make it profitable. Not impossible, but definitely more difficult.

A newbie needs to have realistic expectations of what they can do on the Net. This is a business. It’s not get rich quick magic bullet. It’s not a “make a ton of money overnight” proposition. It is a BUSINESS. You have to run it like a business.

Dale King: How important has goal-setting been to your overall success?

Dan Lok: Very, very important. In my Outsource & Delegate program (http://www.outsourceanddelegate.com), I talk about how important it is to have weekly and monthly objectives. I belong to several mastermind groups so that I can share my goals and get feedbacks from high achievers. I have mentors that hold me accountable. I think one of the most valuable skills I have developed over the years as a businessperson is goal setting. I set daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, yearly goals. I post those goals on the wall in my office so I look at them daily. I tell people about my goals to impose pressure on myself so that I’ll achieve them.

Most people don’t get what they want in life is because they do not know what they want. Setting goals helps clarify your vision and keeps you on track.

Dale King: How important has reading been to your overall success?

Dan Lok: Readers and leaders. I am a big proponent of education. And I don’t mean school education. I am talking about self-education. Although I dropped out of college, I never stop learning. I never stop reading books, listening to audio programs, studying home study courses and learning from my mentors. I have over 2000 books in my library ranging from marketing to copywriting, from sales to management, books on self-help – the list goes on.

I just filed my tax return last month, and my accountant is always stunned by how much I spend on education every year. Last, I spent over $50,000 on seminars, books, audio programs, consulting… etc. I believe the best investment you can make is investing in yourself.

People would do better if they knew better. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn said it best, “Rich people have big libraries and poor people have big TVs.”

Dale King: If you could recommend one book that all Internet marketers should read, what would it be?

Dan Lok: I don’t know if I can only recommend ONE book because there are so many great books. I could recommend 5 or 6.

1. Success System That Never Fails, by W. Clement Stone

I’m guessing a lot of people reading this interview have read, Think and Grow Rich. But I actually like the Success System That Never Fails more. In the book, Stone actually talks about how he uses the principles from Think and Grow Rich to become one of richest men in America.

2. Forbidden Psychological Tactics, by Dan Lok

I don’t care what you sell – you need to understand the basics of human psychology. You need to know what makes people tick and what motivates people to buy. Here’s how: http://www.forbiddenpsychologicaltactics.com

3. The Ultimate Sales Letter, by Dan Kennedy

4. 100 Ways To Motivate Yourself, by Steve Chandler

5. Positioning, by Al Ries

Dale King: What new technology do you see changing Internet Marketing over the next 5 years?

Dan Lok: Well, you have the Web 2.0 of course. Internet is becoming much more interactive. Instead of a one-way communication, it’s now a two-way communication. It’s almost becoming more multi-media. Videos, audios and the like… Here’s what I think marketers who want to prosper in the next 5 years must do – they must NOT rely on ONE form of medium. Let’s say if you are only capturing your prospect’s emails address and you’re using email as the primary communication medium. That’s extremely dangerous and risky.

Smart marketers would use different mediums to communicate with their prospects. You email, you direct mail, you do tele-seminars, you postcard market, you do voice broadcast… etc. You generate leads online and follow up offline. You generate leads offline and drive them online. I believe entrepreneurs who incorporate multi-media marketing will have a competitive advantage over their competitors.

Dale King: What person has influenced you the most in your lifetime and how?

Dan Lok: I’ve had a lot of great mentors in my life. I have a copywriting mentor, let’s call him Mr. X. I have, my business mentor, Daniel S. Peña, Sr. now my recent new mentor Bill Bartmann who was a billionaire.

Dale King: If you could give my readers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Dan Lok: Find someone who’s been there and done that and learn from that person. Why reinvent the wheel when you can use someone else’s wagon instead? I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my mentors.

Dale King: Thank you very much, Dan. I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview.

Dan Lok: You’re welcome. I had a great time. Let’s do this sometime again in the future.

Dan's website:

http://websiteconversionexpert.com

Warning: This interview is the exclusive property of Dan Lok. It may not be reprinted in any format...period!

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