Skills to pay the bills....!

[bagsy]

In other news....

I'm signing up for Full Tilt tonight as a player. Not bothered about rakeback or anything. Anyone want an extra player? Let me see a link to your review then...

On that note, is what I've just asked for legal, from an affiliate program point of view? I mean, I've decided I want to sign up already, but I'm deliberately going through an affiliate link to help someone out. I won't get anyone in trouble for that will I?

Cheers,

B

[GregW]

Hi greg, thanks for your reply.

I find it a tad confusing though. You state that you'd recommend XHTML/CSS over Wordpress, but then also imply that I'd not delay my potential for making money. With my technical knowledge at the moment, think it might take me 6 months to get coding at a level to build a legitimate looking site! I think I can have a WP site up within an hour or two...

No problem. You can get free xhtml/css templates just like you can get free themes for wordpress. These are two great sites for free and cleanly coded templates:

Download free CSS templates - Free CSS Templates
Open Source Web Design - Download free web design templates.

You can edit them and play with them in Dreamweaver (or a free program like Nvu). You could also leave them as they are and just add your content to them.

[Rinor]

Not sure about illegal or not, but you'll make some affiliate very happy, that's for sure...

[bagsy]

No problem. You can get free xhtml/css templates just like you can get free themes for wordpress. These are two great sites for free and cleanly coded templates:

Download free CSS templates - Free CSS Templates
Open Source Web Design - Download free web design templates.

You can edit them and play with them in Dreamweaver (or a free program like Nvu). You could also leave them as they are and just add your content to them.

Thanks Greg, these sites look great. I have one more quick question though; I enjoy the all-in-one functionality of having Wordpress' CMS alongside it's 'look and feel' tools. If I were using these CSS templates, i'm guessing I'd have to find my own CMS and pull it all together manually right? Which CMS would you recommend?

Also, had a few PMs about me signing up to Full Tilt. I didn't have time to sign up last night - pesky missus came home from work early and needed to be talked to! - but will do over the weekend. But now I have multiple options of where to sign up! Do I sign up with the affiliate with the best review? Or the affiliate who's been most active in this community recently and helped lots of other affiliates? Or do I sign-up with the new affiliate, for whom I'd be the first sale, and may help on the road to riches...!?

Kinda feel like god a little bit...

[GregW]

Thanks Greg, these sites look great. I have one more quick question though; I enjoy the all-in-one functionality of having Wordpress' CMS alongside it's 'look and feel' tools. If I were using these CSS templates, i'm guessing I'd have to find my own CMS and pull it all together manually right? Which CMS would you recommend?

It sounds like you've got your heart set on a CMS, so I'd go for that. Adding a CMS to these templates really wouldn't be an easy job so I would stick with WP.

FWIW you don't need a CMS to be able to add content to a website. Some people do prefer the functionality of them though.

[bagsy]

FWIW you don't need a CMS to be able to add content to a website. Some people do prefer the functionality of them though.

Ah, OK. Thanks Greg

[scrawnybob]

hi

first off I would start with a wordpress template and then get a makeover when you can afford it

I started out completely green - but I knew the industry I had worked 18yrs in was going south so I figured I could put $10k on one side to get a site built etc and take a punt (much cheaper than the coffee shop idea)

anyway a few years on and I can honestly say that while my original site has cost a fair bit to start and in upgrades and more code etc (I am not a webdesigner / coder and dont want to be much of one either) ...

now it would be far far easier and far far cheaper if I only had WP sites with VB for the forum ... unique code is all well and good but can be a pain in the a** too

I would just go for it ... but also write for cash now

maybe 50/50 split of your time ... IMHO even if your going to do well your not going to see or know that for sure for 6months

not sure about RMP player value being $500 per month - was that a typo ??

also I'm pretty sure if your targeting advanced players

a) they will be at the big 2 sites already and maybe some of the skins on top networks
b) IMHO your going to have to offer RB as these players are going to know about it already and that is the only thing that is likely to get the over from PS and FT to want to try any smaller sites of networks ... and as soon as you go from the top 2 the traffic is lower and that is important to quite alot of players

MJ made a good point your first site could be a disaster - or a success ... it depends but I would just give it a go

I got into this biz with next to no idea- just be really prepared to learn, read, re-read and absorb everything you can

cheers SB

[lc1884]

Hi Bagsy,

I'm pretty much in the same position as you, but opposite I can do xhtml/css sort of but it's been ages since I wrote anything.

I just started out with my first site and I pondered about going with wordpress but in the end decided to brush up my xhtml skills. Then as someone said above the only way to go was jump in, I wrote the site and after a week hated the first version and sat down and completely re-wrote it.

What I'm getting to is the only way to go is to try, you will make mistakes, loads of them but they are all learning tools. Hosting and domain name cost £60 tops so it's a very small price to learn.

Now the money shot if you haven't signed to FullTilt yet choose me, be my first

Good luck and if you ever need a skills trade I'm interested, I'm all self taught but I may be able to help.

[bagsy]

not sure about RMP player value being $500 per month - was that a typo ??

Thanks for the reply SB. Can't see anywhere in the post where it mentions this. Maybe I'm blind...

Not sure which type of players I'm going to target. Actually might start off with beginners as I was pretty unimpressed with a lots of the stuff I found on this topic.

Now the money shot if you haven't signed to FullTilt yet choose me, be my first

Thanks lc1884!

I spotted this forum post on PAP (not sure If I can post it here - take it down if not) where some guy was giving away lots of free poker ebooks. If anyone has any of them lying around in their hard drives, I'd happily trade these for my FTP sign-up this weekend...! Worth a try...


On another note, I had an idea that I thought I'd share with the community. It's an idea that anyone can use, and it involves your own friends, so i figure that we won't actually be in competition...

I'm thinking of creating a facebook group (and corresponding one page website) for a poker competition between my friends. Each of us signs up to FTP or another room offering a high CPA. We each deposit $50, then we play individually for a month and see who can 'turn' their $50 into the most cash. Winner gets a prize. If I get 10 players, that's at least $750 in CPAs. I'll give $200 to the winner and keep the rest. The players can also keep their winnings, if they have any.

I was thinking about starting a FB group so my old school mates and I could meet-up online and play at a private room somewhere, so this might add an edge to it. Also, if any of my mates want to try the same thing with their own friends, I'll show them how to do it with my sub-affiliate ID.

Think this would work? Also, i'm thinking that if I let the competition run for longer, it might be more worthwhile arranging for a rev-share with the poker-room. Probably not though, we'd have to be playing a while to get to $750...

Also, the one page site could be used for a league table etc. Or maybe I'll just use the FB group page. As you can probably tell, I've just thought of this so my ideas are hazy....!

[Fastlane]

Motivational thread! Makes me want to stop lurking and start interacting and put some ideas into action!

gl